The Beheader
by LChan3706
Summary: He was known as "Kanki the Beheader", the infamous leader of mountain bandits who became a general of Qin, known for his cruel and barbaric ways. Sakura, the last princess of her homeland of Zhao and the only person the general couldn't bring himself to kill...no matter how many times he tried.
1. The Last Princess of Zhao

**A/N:** This is my new story, which is a _Kanki x Sakura_ pairing. I see this as a little side project for fun and to try something a little different (sort of). For those of you who haven't read my other works, this one is a like a branch off of _"The Last Princess of Zhao"_. If possible, it would probably be better to read that first to get a better feel for this one, but it can be read as a stand alone too. It follows the same storyline up to about chapter 14, then breaks away from the original after that.

This is a bit of a "what-if" story if things had taken a different turn in chapter 14. I plan on it being a bit darker than my other two stories, so just be warned. There will be adult content, smut, death, cursing, and all of the above. Don't like, don't read. That's the code I go by.

I decided to write this after the comments I've received about people liking Kanki and my friend bugging me about it, who's also obsessed with him. This was something I wanted to do for a while, but needed to work out how I wanted things to play out. The rest of the chapters will be longer, but this intro is a little short. Anyway, I hope you guys like it and tell me what you think!

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It was late in the night... The only ones still walking the halls were the guards posted in different areas throughout the large manor. At a time like this, there wasn't much excitement, leaving the men tired and bored as they struggled to stay awake during their shifts. Soon enough, a different group would come and replace them, so they could return and get some sleep.

"Goodnight, Hime-sama. We should finish this conversation tomorrow, but I will take it into consideration. Ultimately, the decision is not mine. You know I would continue helping you if the lord would allow it... Riboku-sama is still busy with his work, so he probably won't be returning for quite a few hours. You might as well get some sleep or you will end up staying up all night..." The dark haired man outside of her door bowed slightly, showing his respect to the lady of the manor.

"Karu... Just because Riboku is back doesn't mean you have to act so formal, haha. I like it better when you have some attitude. After all the time we spent training together, it's okay for you to loosen up. He's not angry with you anymore... I think..." The woman grinned, giving the man a little push.

The guard smiled, not exactly reassured by her words. Now that the lord was back, he always felt the need to show his best colors, especially when it had to do with her. She wasn't just anybody...

Sakura-hime was the princess from their homeland, Zhao...one of the proud seven states of China. That was, however, until the king of Qin had begun his campaign to capture and subjugate each individual state, until the entire country was united under one flag.

After a falling out with Tou Jou, King of Zhao, Riboku had aligned himself with Qin after his king had sentenced him to death. The Prime Minister had escaped execution and helped the enemy state battle and conquer his own homeland, in order to save it from deteriorating in the hands of the overindulgent and corrupt Zhao king.

To ensure Zhao's defeat, its capital had been raided and brought to its knees within just a few hours after Qin soldiers had invaded its walls. The royal palace was raided and many had been slaughtered like animals. The generals leading the assault were the Riboku Army and Kanki Army. The former knew everything about Kantan, so it was an easy feat to plan the attack.

The palace, that was located in the heart of the capital, had been stormed by soldiers and bandits alike... It was a one-sided battle by this point. One by one, the royal family was executed as they were found by General Kanki and his men. Anyone else that had been discovered along the way had also met the same gruesome fate.

The only survivor of the royal family was Sakura-hime... The last princess of Zhao...

One of the rewards for the generals aid was that he would be able to retain his title of Prime Minister, yet also gain the position of Chief of Military Affairs. Riboku had used his influence and agreed to help King Ei Sei of Qin in taking over Zhao, but had a few conditions. One of them was to spare Sakura-hime from certain death and to hand the princess over to him. The clever strategist then used this fact to get the pinkette to agree to become his wife.

Although very reluctant, she eventually consented and the general brought her to live with him in Qin's capital, Kanyou. Many who were loyal to Riboku had also made the journey to the state and they built their own "Zhao compound" with their lord. The large manor that belonged to the general was located in the center of the compound, where the princess now resides with her betrothed.

It didn't take long, but the two fell in love, despite their rocky start. The princess had become charmed by Riboku's surprisingly caring and generous personality, while the general had already been long smitten with the pinkette. He had become very close and protective of the woman who had managed to capture his heart from the very beginning...

That was why Karu had always tried to be careful about the way he spoke or behaved around the princess. After being caught putting the woman through some difficult training, the lord hadn't been lenient on the punishment he received... Sakura-hime requested his help to become stronger and they spent a month where the guard had pushed the pinkette to her limits, which was exactly what she wanted. Unfortunately, Riboku-sama returned from a campaign earlier than expected and found them... He was quite angry about the matter... Just thinking about it made the short man shudder.

"Well... I guess it doesn't hurt to be careful..." The princess chuckled, knowing the guard was probably right. "Thank you for letting me know, Karu. Goodnight."

The dark haired man bowed, before walking away as the woman opened the door to her room. It was nice to sleep in the master chambers... The room was nicely decorated with ceramics and vases of all sorts. It was such a shame, but she would probably have to sleep alone again while Riboku was busy in his study.

Sakura stretched as she headed towards the large bed, ready to just pass out and hopefully wake up in her betrothed's arms. He was so busy with court matters, it was hard trying to spend time with him.

Pulling up the covers, the pinkette slid under and tucked herself in. It was already pretty late and she had things to do in the morning. The banquet being held by the king had come faster than expected and she would be expected to make a good showing by Riboku's side. Staying up all night will only make her look haggard... Tomorrow, she wanted to impress the general and show him what he has to look forward to as his wife.

The thought of spending her life with him made her feel giddy. Despite the way their relationship began, he showed her his true colors and intentions. The blond was a good man who truly cared about others, especially his comrades, from the bottom of his heart and would do anything to help them. That is what made the pinkette fall head over heels for the lighthearted general.

Curling up with Riboku's pillow, she closed her eyes and snuggled into the sheets, thinking of the man who was going to hopefully join her soon. Thinking about the banquet calmed the excited woman and helped her slowly drift off into a deep slumber...

...

...

Sakura stilled as she heard something move across the room.

 _'W-What was that?!'_ She heard it again. It sounded like one of the vases moving, but no one should have been in here. If it had been Riboku, he would have had a lantern or something with him. He usually doesn't put it out until he crawls into bed next to her.

Someone was in the room with her... Despite not being able to see in the dark, she could feel a presence. It was moving towards the bed, slowly...carefully.

Sakura tried to stay as still as possible, too afraid to do anything. Images from when she had been attacked in her old room down the hall resurfaced, making the pinkette panic. It had happened months ago, but the fear was still there.

A deranged Qin man who loathed the Zhao immigrants had attacked the manor, aiming for Riboku. During his rampage, multiple servants had been killed and Sakura herself had fought with him, which ended with her being stabbed. Riboku and his lieutenants, Kaine and Futei, had barged in and took the man down before anyone else lost their life. The night that happened, she had been sleeping in her room when the attack happened. This was starting to feel a lot like déjà vu...in the worst kind of way...

The princess kept her eyes closed, afraid of what she might see in the sliver of moonlight coming through the window. With her back turned, it was too hard to maneuver around to see the other side of the room without alerting them that she was awake. Perhaps if they just see her sleeping, they'll just go away...hopefully...otherwise she will have to fight. Hearing light footsteps, she froze, trying to keep her breathing steady despite her heart pounding so hard and fast.

Whatever it was in the room, was right next to the bed. The pinkette stayed as still as possible, gripped by fear. Someone was standing right over her...

...So close she could feel their hot breath against her bare neck. It was enough to make goosebumps break out along the woman's skin and send shivers down her spine in the cold, frigid air...

 _'Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!'_ If there were any regrets that came to mind, it was that she quit sleeping without a blade next to the bed.

Sakura panicked as she could have sworn she felt fingers touching her long, pink hair that hung over the pillows. What were they doing? Fingers twirled a lock, bringing it closer as they inhaled.

 _'Are they smelling my hair?!'_ She was freaking out. It wasn't just a robber or a killer, but also psycho...?

Loud footsteps echoed down the hall towards the room and in a mere second, her hair was dropped and she could feel the presence no longer hovering over the bed. Whoever was coming down the hall stopped in front of the door and started turning the handle.

The door opened and Sakura could see a lantern, before anyone walked in. Not wasting any time, the pinkette threw off the covers and crawled over the opposite side of the bed, closer to her savior.

"Riboku!" The frantic voice startled the general as the young woman practically tackled him into the hall before he could step foot into the room.

"Sakura?! What's wrong?" Sakura was pale and shaken, frightened out of her mind. The blond had just left his study to curl up with her and figured she would already have been asleep by now.

"I-I think there's someone in the room. I was sleeping and I heard something moving around. You weren't here...and they were touching my hair..and.. Please, just get some of the guards to check it out. I know someone is in there!"

Riboku's brow furrowed as he listened. "No, that's not necessary. I'll check it out myself. There's no need to call Karu and the others just for one person. I'm more than capable of handling it myself." Going passed the princess, he pushed the door all the way open before walking inside.

"Wait, Riboku... What if they have a weapon and are dangerous?" The general looked at her with a raised eyebrow, motioning towards the sword strapped to his waist.

 _'Oh, yeah... What am I talking about? He's a general... He should be able to handle one person...'_

With a lantern in hand, the blond walked into the dark room, now being illuminated by the light he brought. Looking around the large room, neither saw anything. Riboku went around to every nook and cranny, his green eyes scanning back and forth, but not seeing anyone or anything suspicious.

Sakura looked around the bed and by the large wooden chest that held robes, but...nothing. The only thing that was curious, was the small window that was open high up on the wall, but that was too small for someone to get in and out of.

 _'What the hell? I could have sworn there was someone in here...'_

"Sakura... Are you sure you weren't having a bad dream again? Or perhaps you were half asleep?" The general asked as he continued to inspect the room.

The pinkette stood there, feeling foolish. Perhaps she had been asleep... After all, she had been having nightmares for some time now. Not only that, but Riboku probably thought she was silly, acting like a frightened child.

"I don't know...maybe there wasn't anything there. I'm sorry for worrying you over nothing..." The pinkette looked away from him, embarrassed. She hated him seeing her like this, it made her feel weak...helpless...

The general grinned, finding this side of her endearing. While he didn't like her being frightened like that, it still felt good to feel needed by her. Sakura was strong and smart, there wasn't a lot he was actually needed for...but it felt nice to feel wanted, like she depended on him for something. Whether it was protection, love or comfort, he just yearned to feel her need him in anyway.

It made Riboku feel more like a man...her man.

Walking over to the pinkette, he wrapped his arm around her, bringing the blushing woman close. Planting a kiss on her forehead, the general held her, knowing she must have felt humiliated. He didn't mind in the least.

"Sakura..." The princess looked up at him, her emerald eyes boring into his own. A warm smile spread across his face, he always loved looking into those green depths. Always so full of life...and emotion. "It's fine. Let's just go to bed. We need to get some sleep for tomorrow..."

The princess smiled, letting the generals large hand take her own as he led her to the bed. Riboku always made her feel safe, no matter what happened. To her and the Zhao people who lived in the compound, he was a symbol of strength and security.

He was the master strategist who had taken China by storm and had won numerous battles, who was also known as a genius who held incredible strength. Anyone in power or was of importance had heard of Riboku of Zhao, the man who came out no where to shake the very foundations of every state in the warring era.

Being beside such a man should make anyone feel safe, that was exactly how the pinkette felt. She trusted her betrothed with her own life...

Riboku lifted the blanket and laid down onto the bed, pulling the princess along with him, making her laugh. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her as close as possible as she snuggled up against his broad chest. Leaning over, he blew out the small flame in the lantern.

"Goodnight, Sakura." The general gave her a little squeeze as he laid back against his pillow, more than ready to get some rest after the long day he had.

"Goodnight..." Sakura mumbled against his robe, letting his warmth wash over her as it helped lull her back to sleep.

The couple held each other close as they drifted off to sleep together, enjoying the moment of peace. It wasn't often as of late for them to just be with one another without interruptions, but right now, just this alone was enough. As long as they had each other...

What the general and princess had missed however...was the dark eyes glaring from under the bed...and it's wicked grin...


	2. Into the Darkness

**A/N:** Chapter two finally done! I have the next chapter finished, it was actually supposed to be part of the intro, but I felt that it would be better to not start the story off like that. For those who like _"The Last Princess of Zhao"_ which is the parent story of this, I updated chapter sixteen recently. Hope you guys like this! Thank you for reading and leaving me some love, it really inspired me to do more when I know people like my writings.

 **Kihoko-san:** I'm glad to see you here and I hope you liked it!

 **VeronicaLee00:** Fufufufu we'll see.

 **Diao:** I agree, Kanki is a major bastard and a creepy one at that! Poor Sakura and Riboku...

 **AnythingFromTheTrolly:** I'm glad you like the story so far! Your comments along with everyone else's inspired me to finally start this. I agree with you about Riboku, he has his own story so I feel a little more liberal with what happens to him (despite my heart telling me otherwise lol). My friend who reads both stories bitched me out about what I'm going to do with him. She doesn't want a single hair on his head hurt, her words almost exactly haha. I put a lot of thought into and the conclusion I came to was that Sakura could never feel a thing for Kanki as long as she knows Riboku's out there and looking for her. If he's alive, she'll do anything to reunite with him. That's how it is in the other story as well.

I will do my best to make it as extensive as my other one as I hate how most stories end as well as soon as the main characters get together. To me, the story doesn't end there. That point is just the beginning a lot of times. I don't even know where I would end my stories as I always think of something more to write. For this story, I know how it begins and ends, just the "meat" of it is still up in the air. I plan on it being long and even have two different endings in mind. I think I'll write both, just with one being alternate.

Karu has different plans for this story, I'll say that. Oh and there will be more lemons fufufu. After all, Kanki is a pig as you can probably tell from the manga. I mean he has a handful of women in his tent whenever they show it. I'd like to answer all the questions, but it would be spoiler city and even I don't know some of them. I don't know till I actually write each chapter, since I quit planning them and just typed. I did do outline for a tiny bit, but went back to winging it. While Kanki isn't extensively shown in the manga and I have room to add, I _try_ (I use that a bit loosely) to stay in character if possible, but with my own twist. I'm grateful they're doing an arc with his army since it shows him in a different way from any other time, but they still don't delve into his thoughts and whatnot, which is a little frustrating. Well, I hope you like this chapter and I'll have the next one posted in a few days since it pretty much done. I just like getting a few reviews before I post new ones fufu, I'm greedy. Just kidding... I just like to read people's opinions on how the story is progressing.

 **ALibra:** It's really great to see you and others who like my other story here! I'm elated that you like the story so far, the comments you and everyone else leave encourage me to keep writing and that was one of the factors that pushed me to actually getting around to writing this. I live creepy Kanki too, he's such a weird bastard lol. I always imagine him not being right in the head (the manga...enough said) so I wanted to portray that in this and my other story.

I'm so conflicted about Riboku and have been ever since I even considered a Kanki story. I can't think of a way to make Sakura fall for Kanki with Riboku being out there somewhere. He was the first man she ever loved who took her away from the crappy life she had in Kantan and gave her a place in his life and manor. She wouldn't be who she is now without him and everyone in the compound became family to her. What could Kanki do or have to offer her that she doesn't have with Riboku? That's been my train of thought. If Sakura spent like a year with Kanki and Riboku showed up to take her home, would she say no? I just feel that she wouldn't be able to choose anyone over Riboku. Knowing he's alive, she'd keep trying to reunite with him. Kanki has no chance, because he's also a monster. He couldn't compare to her knight in shining armor. Well, nothing's written in stone (or fanfiction lol) so it's still up in the air for now. I do however can guarantee that this story will have more sex and all the good stuff. So I hope that can make up for anything that may or may not happen. I'm glad to see you here and hope you like this chapter. The next one will be out in a few day, since it's already done.

 **SilenceCast:** Thank you! I hope you like this story as well and I'm glad you found it. I try to put updates in the authors note when I know I'm going to update, but I also forget sometimes. Next chapter will be out in a few days and I'm glad you're reading the manga. It's the best! The anime doesn't do it justice since they take out a lot of details and violence. It takes away from the feel of the real story. Thanks for leaving a review!

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The hall of the royal palace was filled to the brim with patrons and officials from every state in China, gathered here for one purpose: a banquet being held by the Qin king, Ei Sei. As a celebration of his victory in subjugating the other six enemy states, he arranged for this banquet to be held and made it mandatory that all the generals and "top brass" had to show up.

To Kanki, this was nothing more than a disgusting spectacle for the young king to flaunt his power over everyone else. Unfortunately, many seemed to not understand the meaning of this "celebration" or just went along with it, not wanting to anger the man who would soon be crowned as emperor.

The bandit boss leaned back against a wall, furthest away from all the fools carrying on, patiently waiting for the _real_ reason he came tonight. Since it was mandatory, he was expected to make a showing, but since when has he always followed by the rules? No, he came here with a purpose...

Taking a swig out of one of the jugs he snatched from a servant woman, the harsh liquid ran down his throat, scorching all the way to his stomach. It would take a lot more than this to get him going. Looking towards the table ahead of him, he watched as the lieutenants of his army _attempted_ to not cause trouble. The group stuck out like sore thumb.

Ringyoku's colored lips, tattooed face and crazy hair were enough to give brats nightmares for weeks. He was the loudest of the bunch, laughing and smacking the table as he drank, often spilling alcohol onto his clothing as it ran from the sides of his mouth as he carried on.

The man beside him, Maron, was the complete opposite. The strategist was proper, drinking without spilling a drop and spoke with honorifics, unlike the majority of the army. His hair was always nearly combed and his thin mustache that he curled at the ends was neatly kept. For some reason he decided to grow one, much to the other lieutenants humor.

Across from them was Koku Ou and Naki. While beautiful, Koku Ou was a dark, calculating woman, who was deadly with a bow and arrow. She was capable of shooting multiple arrows at a time, each hitting their respective targets without fail. Hands down the best archer of the entire army. Aside from her martial skill, she was also known as a man-eater, who treated her men differently based on their looks.

Naki was one of the more sensible of the group, less volatile than the others. You could trust to send him out to work with others without having to be concerned with him murdering them all. He was a tall man with two thin braids and a tattoo on his face. Maron conversed with him as they sipped their drinks, not bothering with the others as they carried on.

A few of the other men had come along, drinking and laughing with each other and Ringyoku. Koku Ou looked at them pointedly, clearly annoyed by their disgusting behavior as they made a mess and the loud celebration going on.

"Kukuku..." They sure were a sorry bunch and looked completely out of place with all the rich and fancy officials who were in attendance. Despite bringing four of his lieutenants and quite a few men, he had to leave the others behind to watch over their temporary base, just outside oft he capital.

Raido didn't want to come and there was no way in hell Zenou's group or the Saki clan would be able to even set foot near the capital without instant bloodshed. Those guys were best to keep away unless they were going on raids or into battle. Kanki himself tries to avoid the two latter groups unless it's really necessary...

Emptying the rest of the small jug, the bandit kicked off the wall and slammed it down onto the table, starting Ringyoku who hadn't noticed him coming up behind him.

"Shit boss! You scared the hell out of me..." The lieutenants hair looked crazier than ever as it stuck straight up with the help of his sweat. Every now and then, he wiped his forehead and ran it through his wild locks.

"Perhaps you should slow down, Ringyoku-kun. It's not polite to get completely inebriated and out of control in such a place. Do not forget we're guests here, so we should behave accordingly." Maron quipped, his eyes closed and index finger up, giving the air of an educated aristocrat instead of a bandit.

Kanki chuckled seeing how deranged the man looked with unruly hair and wide, bloodshot eyes. No wonder the people here made room around them whenever they got up or walked, they probably thought whole group was a bunch of lunatics. Not that it's completely off...

Grabbing one of the half filled jug, the dark haired man brought it lips, ready to chug it down when something caught his eye. Looking over, he noticed the large group of people shuffling into the hall that must have just arrived.

Right away, the person he currently despised the most had come in. It was hard not to notice the blond haired man. He was tall, towering over many of the officials and basic soldiers. Riboku... The new Prime Minister of Qin, who formerly held the same position in his homeland of Zhao. That is...until he betrayed and sold out his own people for his own personal gain.

Kanki was not a virtuous man himself. Hell, he knew he was a monster, but he would never turn on his own lieutenants and soldiers. You take care of your own and make your own path to get what you want... And that's exactly what he did.

Riboku on the other hand, was the lowest of the low. That asshole set it up with King Ei Sei so that if he turned on Zhao, then he would have a position and power in Qin. How did he know all of this? It's because the Kanki Army was ordered to help the Riboku Army siege the enemy's capital, Kantan. The strategist had provided maps and information on the entire city, including population numbers, guard posts, secret passages, etc.

His dark eyes widened as soon as he saw the small, feminine woman beside the Prime Minister. Sauntering through the throng of guests in the way, the person who was the center of his attention walked arm in arm with Riboku as a servant led them to their table. A group that moved to Qin with them had followed, mostly compromised of soldiers and officials.

Sakura-hime, the last princess of Zhao. King Ei Sei had given her to Riboku as a trophy for his help in subjugating Zhao. Actually, it was one of the Prime Ministers conditions. He wanted the young princess, so he used the threat of execution to force her hand...and it worked. After all, Kanki had slaughtered every other member of the royal family and she had been only a breath away from becoming a victim herself. If only the blond hadn't intervened...

That's where this had all started. During the siege, the woman had fought back and defied him. While the other princesses had crumbled in fear and at the prospect of death, she fought as hard as she could and almost escaped his clutches. Now getting back at the woman was all he could think about. They had crossed path many times since Kantan, and she eluded him every step of the way. It was maddening. No one can run from Kanki and hope to get away with it.

Despite the contempt he felt towards her, Kanki couldn't stop his eyes from roaming her shapely figure. Like always, the woman looked beautiful. The light blue robe with flowers hugged her curves in the most sinful way. It didn't take long to notice the other men turning to look at her, admire what would never be theirs.

A devious smirk spread across his face as he noticed the princesses long, pink locks were being held by a gold, jeweled band. The same one he had left in bed with her when he snuck into the master chambers of the Prime Minister's manor. It was all too easy... And to see her wearing the hairpiece that he had commissioned just for her- had made it all worthwhile.

She probably had no idea that he was the one to gift it to her and that fool Riboku mustn't have admitted that it wasn't from him. If only the pinkette knew that the gold and jewels used to make it were contraband from many raids him and his army had conducted over the last year. Precious stones and metal... Making a hairpiece from those were nothing to sneeze at and he had to have a professional do the work of putting it together.

Grabbing the jug, he slowly shifted back into his corner, quietly watching the couple without their knowledge. Tonight was going to be _his_ night. The one where he finally had his victory and he would start what he finished, no matter the cost. These last few weeks were dedicated to making sure everything panned out as planned. He did his part, all that he could do now was wait to see if the others could do theirs as well.

 _'You better not fuck this up, Riki.'_

* * *

The bandit boss leaned against the wall, drinking his liquor and carefully watching everything and everyone around him. The plan had already been set into motion. From the moment Sakura's lips connected to her cup full of alcohol, she sealed her own fate.

With a fake smile and half lidded eyes, Riki worked her magic as she served their table. Admittedly, she was a useful whore and her huge tits were one of her only redeeming qualities. That and the way she did anything and everything he told her to do. Like the other women who flaunted their shit at his base, they were all too willing to do anything and everything for him.

 _'Stupid ass pawns...'_

The redhead tried working her magic, using her feminine wiles to capture the Prime Ministers attention and hopefully distract him from the woman sitting beside him. From what it seemed from where the dark haired man stood, it didn't look like it was working.

Riki flirted and pushed her tits in the blond mans face only for him to look annoyed and put distance between them. It was clear that she was trying, but unless the job got done, none of it would matter.

She turned away from the table and headed to the back to grab another jug of alcohol for the group. Walking across the hall, the redhead glanced towards him with a confused look. Did he want her to leave it if the target wasn't taking the bait?

Narrowing his dark eyes at her, she visibly gulped knowing his answer. Do the job or suffer the consequences. Hurrying along, the woman went into the back.

Kanki stood there, watching to see what she would do next. If she tried running, no one would be more sorry than herself. Perhaps he'd toss her to the Saki clan if she was that stupid.

Minutes passed by and no one came out of the back. Tapping his boot, the he bandit ground his teeth in irritation. They had already been at this damn banquet far longer than initially intended and his patience was running thin. His lieutenants were getting restless and some of the men were already piss drunk. At least the ones he needed were smart enough not to drink too much, or they would be useless helping.

Ringyoku was already too far gone to be considered any help. If anything, he was going to need help just to make it back to the base.

The door opened, grabbing his attention back to the task at hand and sure enough, red hair poked out and looked around. _'What's she planning?'_ The woman looked towards him and nodded her head, before walking out.

Turning towards the table where his lieutenants were sitting at, he whistled lowly. Naki looked up and nodded, putting his jug down and leaving the table. The others were to stay where they are to not attract any attention. If they all headed out at once, it would much more noticeable.

Looking back, he saw Riki at the Prime Ministers table with no jug, making him want to smack her into tomorrow. Leaning down, she whispered something into Riboku's ear, making his brow furrow. Within seconds, the man stood up and started following her across the room.

A smirk spread across the bandits face at his luck. Perhaps that redhead wasn't as useless as he thought. Now that the Prime Minister was out of the way, this would be a lot easier. Moving along the wall in the shadows, he started heading towards the side of the room where the Zhao were. All he had to do was work his magic and somehow get the pinkette away from the others.

The boss stopped as soon as he saw another person take a seat at their table. The female lieutenant of Riboku's army headed off and the commander of the Hi Shin Unit took a seat next to the princess.

 _'What the fuck does that slave brat think he's doing?!'_ Kanki clenched his fist as Shin sat with Sakura, bringing his jug of alcohol with him. Riboku's lieutenant, the guy with a masked faced, started arguing with him, before running off towards the the Hi Shin Units table and causing a ruckus with one of the members.

Watching the idiots at work, the general felt his irritation rising. Who know how long he had until the Prime Minister returned? It could be any second, any minute now. There wasn't much time. The major issues he had, which were the strategist and his lieutenants, were currently away from the table. Now all that was left was to get rid of that dumbass former slave. The others at the table were of no concern, just some basic soldiers and officials who were immersed in their own conversations and drinking.

Shin wouldn't be hard to get rid of, he was a simpleton. Right now he was drunk and easily distracted. Perfect. All he would have to do is mention that the king had asked for him and he'd go running off like a good little slave.

Grinning, he headed towards the table with resolve to finish this. No more games, no more distractions...

All of a sudden, a short dark haired man walked towards Shin, berating him. By the look of his clothing, he must have been another one of the Zhao guards. The man grabbed the princess by the arm and pulled her away from the commander. Pointing towards the exit, he motioned for her to leave.

Standing by the door, was Riboku's female lieutenant, Kaine, who just walked out. Perhaps the guard didn't like Shin, a former slave of low birth, talking to their princess? Either way, this was perfect...

Kanki grinned as he watch the pinkette stumble across the room, heading towards where the dark haired woman was. That guard didn't know it, but he just sealed her fate.

 _'Kukuku...'_

* * *

Kaine tapped her foot as she waited for Sakura-hime out in the corridor, so they could return to the manor. They had been at the banquet for some time, but Karu insisted that she escort the princess back. As the night progressed, the more I'll she seemed... Perhaps it was the alcohol? Maybe it was the food?

Either way, now it was her job to take the woman back. Riboku-sama had left with some servant woman and all hell is close to breaking loose. All they could hope for was the inebriated pinkette to go to sleep when they returned to the manor. Kami forbid if the lord comes back before that...

Sakura-hime had one hell of a right hook, something the female lieutenant learned the hard way. It was very unlike the general to do something so...outlandish, so there must have been a reason. He wasn't a womanizer, nor an adulterer...something was up. Either way, she would put her trust in him to do the right thing until they all were back in the compound and he can explain himself.

Hearing something, the swordswoman spun around to greet the pinkette only to see the wooden door closing. No one was there...

 _'What the hell was that? Did she turn back around?'_

Slowly walking towards the door, Kaine looked back and forth. Something just felt...wrong. As her hand reached the handle, someone grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth with a cloth in their hand.

"Mmm! Mhhhm!" The woman thrashed and kicked, trying to get out of the hold. Cocking her arm back, she brought her elbow down as hard as she could against the assailants midsection, only to feel hard metal beneath the fabric of their robe.

 _'Dammit!'_

"Shhh... Shhhh... Just relax. I don't wanna have to hurt you, much less kill ya. You'll be out in a few seconds so stop strugglin'." The deep, calm voice of the man made Kaine panic even more, but the more she struggled, the slower she felt. Everything started getting blurry as she fought against the strong arms holding her back.

 _'What is this? My body...feels so..heavy. Riboku-sama...'_ The female commander could feel her body giving out, no matter how much she tried willing it to fight. The man was much stronger than her and whatever was on the cloth smelled weird. It was undoubtedly causing her body to react this way. Everything started spinning as she blacked out...

* * *

Naki breathed a sigh of relief as the woman's head lolled to the side, finally passing out. Despite her small stature, she was quite strong. Fortunately, he wore armor under his clothes...just in case.

Pulling her away from the door, the bandit looked around for somewhere to put her for the time being. The boss only told him to get any obstacles out of the way, but didn't say he had to kill them. That would only leave a mess and could possibly drawn unnecessary attention. Of course he could have just broke her neck and hid her somewhere, but it just seemed like...such a waste.

Looking around, he saw a room down the hall. Picking the woman up, he tossed her over his shoulder and headed for the door. Hopefully it was unoccupied or there would be extra work and more cleaning up to do.

Grabbing the handle, he pulled the door open with his hand as he used the other to keep his "hostage" steady. Peeking in, the place was completely dark. It looked as if it wasn't used for anything...a perfect place to hide a body temporarily.

Whatever crap Maron gave him to use on the cloth should keep her out of it for a while, giving all of them plenty of time to finish up. It was a good thing she hadn't seen him or he might of had to kill her so she couldn't identify him.

That was the reason he hid in the shadows. The woman had no idea he had already been out there the whole time as she stomped out there. As she impatiently tapped her foot waiting, he figured that would have been the best chance to sneak up on her before she tried going back into the banquet hall.

Slipping into the room, he used a blade to keep the door ajar to have some light. The bandit didn't know what was in here and didn't want to be surprised and not be able to leave quickly. Satisfied with how far in he went, the dark haired man grabbed the woman and set her down in a corner carefully.

Reaching into his robe, he pulled out an empty jug he grabbed from the banquet that he drank and set it next to her. If anything, on the chance that someone found her, they'd think she had gotten drunk and wandered in here. Naki laughed to himself as he turned around and headed towards the door.

 _'Too bad. She ain't half bad lookin'...'_

With one last look at the unconscious woman, he pulled his blade from the door and let it close, figuring she would be fine as long as she was out of the way. The boss wouldn't have been nearly as kind. He probably would have done something horrible to her just to get back at that Riboku guy...or just for fun. Either way, this was a better choice.

Walking down the corridor, he saw the door kick open as two figures emerged. The boss half guiding, half dragging the pink haired woman he had pointed out earlier. She looked totally out of it, probably from the effects of whatever Riki had been serving her or perhaps some of the shit that he just used on that lieutenant.

"Get rid of that Zhao bitch?" The boss grinned, seemingly happier than a dog eating shit now that he snatched up his prize.

"Yeah boss, she's outta the way." He didn't ask if she was dead. All he told him to do was make sure she wasn't a problem.

"Kukuku, good. You guys finish up here, I'm heading out." Naki nodded, knowing full well what he meant. Looking at the woman in his grasp, she seemed so far gone that there was no way she had any ideas what was going on. How did he manage to grab her in the hall without one of her people noticing? Well, that was the bosses forte...sneaking in and out if places with the goods without anyone noticing.

He shuffled off with the pinkette in tow. It was late, making it easier to get out of the palace unnoticed by the guards who were easy to distract. They had been doing shit like that for years, it was like taking candy from a baby by now.

The bandits dark eyes narrowed on the woman, feeling bad for whatever was going to happen to her. If she was in the bosses hands, then there was no chance for her...

The doors at the end of the corridor pushed open as the boss dragged the princess along with him, before disappearing into the darkness.

Sighing, Naki turned around and headed back to the royal hall to take his place with the other lieutenants. He may not like everything that goes on, but orders were orders. Whatever the boss says goes...


	3. Conquest

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone who read my stories and leaves me something! It always puts me in a good mood and is motivating. Something I should have mentioned before... To get a better understanding of Kanki and Sakura's relationship, read the second half of chapter thirteen of "The Last Princess of Zhao". It pretty much explains it in a nutshell.

 **Kihoko-san:** I'm glad you like it! Yeah, I like Naki a lot too. He doesn't seem as bat-shit crazy as the others (ahemm Ringyoku, Zenou...the Saki clan...) And you can smell what I'm cooking, eh? You never really know lol could be surprise stew with some mystery meat.

 **Angelique:** Fufufu, we'll find out very shortly.

 **Ecstasyharlot:** Yep, he finally did after all this time. All hell would break loose if Riboku finds out.

 **VeronicaLee00:** Thanks, I'm really glad you're excited for the updates. I try incorporating what I read in the manga updates, especially since it's an arc where Kanki is head honcho for this campaign. They also introduced new characters and delved into his lieutenants personalities more than before, so it was a good opportunity for me. Talk about great timing bahaha. When I first thought of writing this, they were still in the State of Ai arc, so my procrastination paid off this time. We'll see about Riboku though...it's still up in the air.

 **Guest:** Thanks for reading and I hope you stay for the ride!

 **ALibra:** Yeah I figured I'd change up the way the story plays out in this one. Some minor details are similar, just changed. I wanted the "bad guy" to finally succeed and to see what happens. It's like a backwards story to other one, in a way. They both reach up to a point, then go in opposite directions. I'm really glad you like it! Your feedback and everyone else's help me enjoy doing this and pushes me to do more. I figured the banquet scene would be a perfect place for that "fork in the road" type deal. I don't want anything to happen to my precious general (...Riboku...). Haaahhh. Anyway, thank you for your wonderful review!

* * *

It didn't take the bandit too long to reach the destination he had in mind for what was going to take place this night...

Riding on horseback, he swiftly made his escape into the forest. Despite the fact that it was dark out, he knew exactly where he was going. There was a safe house about an hour and a half into the dense wooded area that was used back in the day before being recruited into the Qin Army. It seemed so long ago...

Kanki looked down at princess leaning against his chest, sound asleep. The moon shone bright, allowing his dark eyes to study her delicate features. Her long pink hair ran down her back and over the arm he use to hold her, even with the gold band holding it together. She was a sight to behold.

This would indeed be his greatest conquest of all...

* * *

Kicking the door to the rickety shack, Kanki carried the woman over to the bed and laid her down. Standing back for a moment, a malicious grin spread across his face. He won... This was it. All the bullshit, sneaking around and waiting patiently all came to this point in time... And it was all thanks to his cunning and underhanded ways.

Without turning away, he started taking off his armor, but nothing else. It was as if he didn't want to look away, afraid the pinkette would suddenly disappear. There was nothing to worry about though...even if she were to run, they were practically in the middle of no where- as far as she was concerned. Not to mention it was too dark for someone inexperienced in tracking and sneaking around as her to find the way back to Kanyou.

The moonlight coming in through the window was thankfully more than enough to see.

Now that the princess was in his clutches with no one around to intervene, he almost didn't know where to start... They were far enough out in the forest for no one to hear her and he made sure there wasn't any visible trails to follow.

Stalking over towards the bed, dark eyes took in every detail of his prey, watching every little movement. The pinkette's chest rose and fell with each breath as she slept soundly, unaware of the danger lurking right next to her.

 _'So damn foolish... Not a single worry or care in the world.'_ Part of him felt like wrapping his hands around her throat and chocking her to death. No, not yet. If he were to do that, she would at least have to be awake for it to be enjoyable. After he had filled his lust and need for her body, then she could be disposed of.

 _'This bitch caused me so much fuckin' trouble it ain't even funny...'_

Reaching over, he grabbed the sash of her robe and gave it a pull. It unwound and came right off before being thrown into a corner to be abandoned. The only thing keeping him from her bare body was the robe wrapped around her slender figure. Even during the winter solstice festival, he was able to cop a feel, but didn't actually get to see anything.

How many times he had imagined what the princess's body looked like without those fancy robes on? How many times had he been trying to cast her away from his own thoughts by screwing the prostitutes his subordinates picked up, only to fantasize that it was her screaming beneath him? How long had this little woman have a hold on him?

The pinkette would pay for her indiscretions and all the trouble she caused. Not to mention the spiteful words spat at him when they were almost out of the capital. After gaining consciousness and in an act of desperation, she stabbed him through the hand with a blade hidden in her clothing out of nowhere and tried to make a run for it. She didn't get far before he covered her mouth with a cloth that had some shit Maron had given him on it. He said anyone who inhales it would loose their ability to move and suddenly pass out. At least that went as planned, or he would have to knock her out.

"Don't you ever fucking touch me again, you scumbag. After all the shit you did to me, just seeing your face makes me want to throw up. My body is for Riboku and only Riboku, got it? If you ever touch me again, next time it'll be your heart instead of your hand."

The bandit could still hear the anger that laced her voice and the hatred in those emerald eyes that had always entranced him. The princess's words enraged him more than he wanted to admit. Why did it bother him so much when all he wanted was to use her body? Why the hell did he give a shit about what she said or how she felt? Oh well, it didn't matter at this point. Not when things have gone THIS far.

Kanki could feel his heart beating rapidly in his ears as the moment he waited for was right before him... Just a few measly scraps of clothing. Gripping the folds of her robe, he slowly peeled back both sides, revealing the pinkette's curvaceous body for his own personal viewing.

All that was left was two small pieces of undergarments that could easily be disposed of. This whole ordeal was more exciting than originally planned. Grabbing the robe that was still in the way, he yanked it up and off of her quickly and swiftly as to not wake her before he had his fill.

The woman laid partially sprawled out on the bed with only a chest covering and panties on. The bandit boss's mouth watered as his dark eyes raked over the shivering body before him. Hovering over his prey, he reached down, unable to resists touching the soft skin of her abdomen. Goosebumps rose up along her smooth, porcelain skin as his calloused fingers lightly ghosted over her stomach.

 _'So smooth...just like I imagined it would be.'_ His fingers roamed down to her curvy hips, feeling the love handles he would undoubtedly be gripping soon enough. The urge to rip off her panties was overwhelming, but wanted to enjoy this just a bit longer.

Looking up at the pinkette's face, it seemed as if her body was already reacting to his ministrations. Little pants left her pink lips as the drug still had her in its clutches. She drank so much of it unknowingly at the banquet that it would take a while for it to completely wear off. Too bad for her...

Kanki's dark eyes widened as something else was brought to attention as he looked up at her face. The chill from the outside that cause her to shiver, had hardened her nipples so that the bandit could see them right through her chest bindings. Licking his lips, he ran his rough hand up her abdomen and over the covered assets. Without any hesitation, he grabbed the bindings with both hands and tore them apart and threw the shreds onto the floor.

His eyes darkened looking the woman over. She was absolutely beautiful to the very last detail. Seeing that delicate face with those puckered lips and perfect mounds was more than enough to make his heart race and blood head to his lower regions. And fast...

Before continuing, there was something needed to be done to ensure a smooth victory. Turning around and going into the corner, he grabbed one of the things he brought with him to this little shack before going to the banquet. With a sinister grin, he picked it up and headed back over to the bed.

Pulling her wrists over her head, the bandit wrapped rope around them before tightly fastening it to the top of the bed.

'This will make things more interesting...'

Leaning back to admire his handiwork, Kanki could feel the erection in his pants hardening at the sight of his little princess tied up and defenseless before him. It was invigorating...especially after all that happened between them so far. Grinning like a madman, he ran his hand up between her breasts, before cupping her face and smoothing his thumb over her plump bottom lip. She was just so irresistible...

Enough was enough, he needed more. Bringing his hands to her chest, the dark haired man gently cupped the perfect mounds, enjoying the weight of them in his palms. The pink rosebuds hardened as his calloused fingers ran over them, teasing and pinching lightly. A gasp left her mouth, exciting him even more.

Hovering over the small woman, he leaned down and licked her neck, causing her to stir from the induced sleep she was put in. The bandit grinned at the perfect timing. After all, she needed to be awake for this or it would take all the fun out of it.

Watching the princess's face intently and seeing her eyes begin to flutter, awoke something inside of him that would have frightened her if she wasn't half asleep. The predator instinct...the urge to dominate and devour his prey.

As black met green, he could feel the beast in him rearing its ugly head.

"Kukuku. You're finally awake, little Hime. Just in time for the show."

* * *

Sakura licked her dry lips as she started coming to, trying to moisten them only to realize there was no saliva or anything to help. Water would be amazing right about now...

 _'Kami-sama... I need something to drink... My body feels like it's on fire... Riboku, please...'_

She felt too lightheaded to try getting up or doing anything. Opening her eyes slowly, the room seemed to be spinning as blurs of darks hues passed by, nothing taking a definite shape and unable to make anything out.

Being unable to see wasn't the worst part by any mean... It was the burning sensation in her lower regions that was becoming so painful, she was on the verge of crying. The only way she could describe it was that it felt like a fire was putting intense pressure in between her legs and there was nothing she could do about it.

A deep voice floated to her ears, but the thumping of her own heart made it hard to make out what it say saying.

"So thirsty...water, please..." It was hard getting the words out with such a dry mouth and aching throat. The night hadn't gone how she had hoped at all, but was all that could be conjured up. What happened again?... The more the pinkette tried to recall, the worse the headache got and the fuzzier everything seemed.

 _'I was at the banquet with Riboku...and there was that redhead and he...he...'_ The train of thought stopped abruptly as a rough finger rubbed her chin and something brushed against her lips. Relief flooded her as she realized it must have been a drink. Opening her mouth just enough for it to pass through, her eyes popped open at the taste of the bitter liquid.

 _'Liquor?! What the hell is going on?!'_ Sputtering and coughing, the pinkette tried to sit up only to feel that her arms were bound above her head. Her throat felt raw from swallowing that after how dry it had already been.

Something else was pushed up against her lips and figuring it was more of whatever she had been given, Sakura tried turning away, refusing to take the offering. A strong hand gripped her jaw and held it in place, using their fingers to apply pressure and prying her mouth open.

A stream of cool water poured into her mouth and down her throat. After that horrible tasting alcohol, the drink was relieving. Sakura took in as much water as possible, not wanting to waste a drop. Her body felt so incredibly hot that even the little bit of cold liquid that ran down the sides of her mouth and onto her neck and chest felt wonderful.

As soon as the person pulled away, she gasped, trying desperately to catch her breath after drinking so much. Opening her eyes, she tried to focus her eyes and figure out what was going on. Pulling on the thick material that was restraining her arms, the princess stilled as someone chuckled next to her.

"You might as well stop, there's no way you're getting your wrists out of that, little Hime." Green eyes widened as the dark figure next to her leaned down, allowing her a better look. The bandit boss hovered over her with a crazed grin on his face.

Panicking, the pinkette tried looking around and realized nothing looked familiar. She wasn't in the palace, nor the manor.

"What the hell is going on...where am I?!" Sakura could feel her heart pounded hard against her chest and though it seemed impossible, it felt like the room was getting hotter.

"Kukuku. Far away from Kanyou and Riboku. There's no where to go, so you might as well try relaxing and tonight can be as enjoyable for you as it will be for me." A rough hand caressed her face and into the pink locks strewn across the pillows. Grabbing a handful, the bandit brought it up to his nose and inhaled, seeming to enjoy the scent.

"Y-You bastard, what did you do to me?" His face became more clear the more she focused, the smug look he had enraging. "What was that stuff you and that redhead gave me? My body feels like it's on fire and...it hurts. I...can't stand it anymore..."

Kanki looked down at her curiously, before she tried pushing herself away from him on the bed. "Uh, uh, uh... Where do you think you're going?" Reaching down between her legs, he cupped her mound and ground his palm against it.

A cry ripped itself through the pinkette's throat from the intense sensation shooting from her overly sensitive core all the way up her spine. Kanki's eyes widened at the reaction the woman's body had from just that small action. Was it because of the high amount of aphrodisiac they had given her? It must have been.

Sakura turned away from him as she sobbed, never before had she felt anything like that in her life. It was a mix of terrible pain and unbelievable pleasure. Gasping for breath, it was unbelievable that something that hurt so much could feel good.

"What...hah...did you do to me..." The bandit seemed lost in his own world. Even though he was looking at her body, it seemed like he wasn't really listening. "Kanki!" His dark eyes looked back up to her as a grin spread across his face, that trademark "smile" she hated.

Leaning down so that he was just a breath away, his left hand skimmed up her bare side and to her chest. Sakura wanted to get away, but it was futile... Not with this rope or the drugs running rampant through her body. This whole thing had been premeditated... The redhead, the drinks, everything.

Slowly, the dark haired man cupped her breast and watched carefully to every little reaction he could stir up out of her. From the heavy breathing, to the way her eyes fluttered, to the erratic heartbeat beneath his fingertips as his hand caressed her mounds.

The princess bit her lip trying not to make a sound as his other hand joined in, groping and kneading her generous bosom. The more he touched her, the fuzzier her mind was becoming. Not only that, but the heat and throbbing between her legs was getting worse...it was absolutely unbearable. Was there a way or any means or escaping?

There wasn't a single scenario she could think of to get the rope from around her wrists and getting out without a fight, but at her present state, would that even be possible? It was hard enough just trying to leave the banquet by herself, how in the world was she suppose to get away from a large, psychotic bandit who was hellbent on having her for some ungodly reason?

It was difficult trying to think, all her mind kept going back to was the way he was fondling her breasts and the pain in her lower regions. All she wanted was to be in bed with Riboku... Just thinking about him made her want to cry. How would he feel if he could see her now? Drugged and tied up in the bed of their enemy who was playing with her breasts, but that wasn't the worst part... It was the fact that it was starting to feel good.

The princess's face burned with shame at her own body's betrayal. Kanki was the man she feared and hated the most. Just thinking about him was almost enough to make her hurl on any given day of the week. How did such a detestable man have the ability to make her feel like this? Why did the rough hands of a degenerate bandit, that were used to pillage and murder innocent people, able to bring her such pleasure?

It was humiliating, it was disgusting, it was unbelievable. She hated him and he just wanted sex from her, yet that didn't change how her body felt...

"Ahhh!" Sakura cried out, throwing her head back as the bandit ran the tip of his tongue over her breast before latching onto her nipple. She looked down at him and his dark eyes stared right back into hers as he suckled and groped her tender flesh. Her body jerked as he nipped her with his teeth.

"Your tits are so soft...so nice..." The bandit went back and forth, giving both the attention they deserved. It was driving the pinkette crazy. "You really are sexy, little Hime. Much more than I originally thought." Giving one last tug with his lips, he grinned up at her, enjoying the humiliated expression on her face. "What's wrong? Aren't you enjoying this as much as I am? Kukuku."

The princess bit her lip, hating herself more than she ever thought possible. Her body was reacting to everything he did, despite how much she tried to think about anything else.

"I...hate you." Her voice was low, breathless. She felt flushed and couldn't take anymore of this torture. It was painful when he wasn't touching her, yet felt hotter when he did. All she wanted was some relief from both and didn't know what to do to make it stop.

Kanki's eyes narrowed at her as he frowned. "Is that so? Well...you don't have to like me, you just have to lay there while I fuck you, got it?" He seemed agitated, angry even.

His words caused her to squirm, trying to get away from him. The more she moved, the worse the pain was, stopping her. He seemed to notice it as he grabbed her hips to stop her from moving.

"Cut it out. You're not goin' anywhere and it's just going to hurt the longer something isn't done about it. Tryin' to get off the bed's only gonna make it worse. Lay back and relax if ya want it to stop." The pinkette stopped moving as her eyes watered from the intense sensations in her core. She could feel everything, more than she ever wanted to.

The large man stood up and tugged on the sash of his robe, pulling the material off his shoulders without taking his eyes off of the princess. His pants were the only thing covering him. Sakura watched as he slipped his top off of his muscular shoulders, exposing his chiseled chest and body littered with scars from the tough life he endured as a bandit.

 _'His body looks almost like the way it did in that nightmare I had...'_

Walking around the bed while keeping eye contact, he knelt onto the end and slowly crawled towards her. The way he looked at her...made her feel like a piece of meat with a rabid beast that was circling around, trying to decide where it wanted to start devouring first.

Sakura's breathing sped up the closer he got. She tried keeping her head up to watch him, but it only made her feel dizzier.

As soon at the bandit boss reached her, he gripped her ankles and pushed them apart, not allowing her the chance of trying to kick him. The pinkette attempted to move her legs, but it was futile under his hold. His hold was nothing less of bruising.

The pinkette couldn't think of anything else as she felt his rough hands sliding up her legs. Halfway towards his destination, he gripped and pushed her legs up, making them bend before pushing them apart again.

Sakura felt like she couldn't look away as she saw the general smirk at her as he licked his lips, sending shivers up her spine. She couldn't help feeling so tiny and insignificant as his large form loomed over her. His shoulders were so broad and muscular, just as the rest of him.

"Ah!...hah.." Kanki leaned down, getting closer to his prize as he held her legs apart. The princess gasped and her back involuntarily arched as he put his face between her legs, nuzzling her panties. The feeling of nose rubbing against her clit was too much, making her grip the rope around her wrists tightly in an attempt to hold on to anything.

"You smell amazing." The bandit stuck his tongue out and flattened it against the fabric, running it from top to bottom, teasing the helpless woman. Hearing a moan slip from her lips, his dark eyes widened as he looked up at her.

She panted, unable to stop her body's instinctual reactions to his advances. The drug had taken over, making her want nothing but some sort of release from the pressure in her loins.

"You like that, huh? Well, then..." Putting her legs down, he reached up to hook his fingers into her panties as slowly slid them down her legs. His smirk widened as he noticed her hips slightly rose off the bed to help get them off. The drug worked wonders and was well worth the effort of getting. To hear a moan like that out of the princess's mouth was definitely worth it a hundred times over.

As soon as the panties were around her ankles, he quickly plucked them off and brought them to his nose. Closing his eyes, he reveled in the pinkette's scent, enjoying every second he was able to have a little more of her.

Seeing the woman's brows furrow at his actions, he tossed the fabric aside with every intention of snatching them later on. Leaning down and pushed her legs apart, he used his wide shoulders to keep her thighs separated as he eagerly headed right for her core.

Sakura felt like she was being suffocated as she felt the dark haired man's hot breath on her privates. It was enough to make to burning intensify and- to her humiliation- wetter.

Kanki's mouth watered as he saw how aroused the princess really was. How exciting... With his middle and index finger, he felt along her slit before spreading her lips open to see everything. She was so wet, his fingers were already covered in her juices and things were just getting started.

He would make this woman beg for him before the night was over. She would regret ever refusing him and causing so much trouble.

Without wasting anymore time, he buried his face into her, causing the pinkette's back to arch as the room filled with moans and desperate cries. She tasted amazing, pushing him forward, wanting more.

It was too much, too intense. Sakura couldn't think of any besides the tongue assaulting her core. The only thing that came to her mind was more... She gasped and cried loudly as his lips sucked and pulled on her clit, sending a shockwave through her entire body.

The bandit ran his tongue up and down her slit, enjoying the sweet juices covering his face as he lapped at her feverishly. This was better than he imagined or fantasized. Dark eyes couldn't break away from the princess's face as she cried and tugged on the rope. The way her brows furrowed and green eyes darkened as the noises involuntarily slipped from her parted lips...would forever be engraved in his mind.

* * *

Never before had he ever cared if a woman enjoyed what he did to them. It hadn't mattered. So many women had been in and out of his bed and tent, he didn't know names or faces anymore. All that they were was just a means of getting off. He wanted to fuck and they were more than willing. That's how things went for years and not once did he ever question or consider anything else. Prostitutes came into his encampment in the dozens for him and his men, ready to serve them all any which way.

None of them were memorable or worth giving a second try. There was no doubt he probably did, but wouldn't have realized it anyway as he didn't take notice of them at all. It was just a hole to screw, didn't matter what woman it was attached to. The only thing that mattered was his wants, his pleasure.

Yet for some reason, this foolish little woman had the ability to make him look twice. Not only that, but her image burned itself into the back of his eyes until it constantly haunted him with her resistance and rebellious ways.

She pissed him off. He was use to woman throwing themselves at him, literally begging him to fuck them, yearning for the attention and affection they would never receive. Somehow this small woman with pink hair not only spurned his advances, but had the audacity to reject and humiliate him at any given chance with her words or actions. Had it been anyone else, they would have had their eyes gouged out and their tortured corpse impaled on a spike for all to see...

The urge to rip her apart had been so overwhelming that at times his hands shook, itching to end it already...but he couldn't. Every single time, something stopped him and it was maddening. He would hover over the princess's sleeping form with every intention of murder, yet he would find himself wanting to be inside of her curvaceous body instead of killing her.

It was a sick obsession that he wanted to be rid of. Did he only want her because she was able to elude him every time he thought he finally had her cornered? Was it due to the fact that she was repulsed by everything that had to do with him when so many women would throw themselves at his feet? Or was it because she was pure and he just wanted to taint her to the point where there was no salvation?

Kanki didn't know... Perhaps it was all of those reasons, or maybe none of them at all. That was one of the reasons why this had to happen. It was to rid himself of this intolerable obsession that was beginning to control his life. After having the pinkette and getting his fill, the curse or spell would break and he would finally be able to kill her, so that everything would go back to normal. He would be able to fuck and enjoy the whores around his encampment without thinking about her or imagining how she's react to the things he'd to to them. There wouldn't be any more nights where he was drunk as hell and he have vivid fantasies of her doing dirty things to him.

It would have been easy to rape her, there had been dozens of times he could have done it, yet that wouldn't have been as satisfying. After all the humiliation she caused and rejection, he wanted her to react to his body. The bandit wanted her to cry out, to moan, to beg for more, and to have her walls grip his cock before climaxing against his hips. The thought was far too enticing to pass up and that's where the blessed aphrodisiac came in.

Everything was worth it, just to be able to see that prude princess this way. The lewd noises coming from her mouth would have made her so ashamed or the way her hips were bucking against his face, wanting more. This was everything he wanted and some. All he needed to do now was deflower the blossom and then she would be all his. Would Riboku really want her after being another man's used goods?

Leaning back, Kanki trailed his hand up her body to grope her breast before grabbing her jaw lightly. Her darkened eyes were so hazy from the drug, but he knew she could see him.

His other hand moved in between her legs, letting his fingers trail up and down her slit. The pinkette looked so sexy like this, so...hungry. All for him.

The bandit ran his thumb over her bottom lip, letting it venture a bit into her mouth, confident that she wouldn't try biting it. To his surprise, her tongue ran over the digit before latching onto it and sucking lightly. The scene was so hot, he could feel his hardened erection throbbing painfully in his pants.

Without warming, he slipped a finger into her hot core. _'Holy shit, she's so fuckin' tight!'_ The pinkette cried out, but his digit in was in the way. The urge to be inside the woman was overwhelming as he started pumping his finger into her and adding another one to ready her body.

Kanki couldn't understand why he even cared to do such a thing. Why not just shove it in and let her suffer like she deserved? Why take the time or give the effort to ready this woman's body for what was to come? She made him do things he never did or would ever consider doing, yet didn't know the reason behind it.

Removing his finger from her mouth, little whimpers of pain and pleasure escaped her lips. Her face was a rare shade of pink and red as bullets of sweat ran down her face and chest. Leaning in, he stuck his tongue out to lap at the skin between her breasts, causing her back to arch as he sped up the pace of his fingers in her core. Using his thumb, he rubbed her clit vigorously, trying to distract her from the uncomfortable feeling of having his large digits moving inside of her.

"Ah..hah..hahh... Kami-sama..." She threw her head back in ecstasy, gripping the rope hard and almost lifting herself up off the mattress.

"Kukuku, I think you meant Kanki-sama." It didn't take long before he felt her walls gripping his fingers tightly, close to climaxing. The pinkette's legs wrapped around him tights as she felt her toes curling around his sides.

It was time... Time to tear off this angel's wings and to bring her into his world.

Pulling his fingers out of her, he made sure she watched as he stuck them into his mouth and cleaned the digits of all her juices.

Standing up, he quickly took off his pants, kicking them off to the side in haste. Grabbing the blade from the side of his boot, he disposed of them along with any other garments until he was just as naked as the woman on his bed.

Takings the blade the princess had used to stab his hand earlier at the banquet, he cut the rope holding her wrists together. She was so high off the drug and pleasure, there was no need to worry about her attacking at this point.

The green-eyed beauty's upped half landed against the mattress with a groan and there were rough indentations imbedded into her delicate wrists from the harsh material used to bind them.

Not wanting to wait any longer, the large man crawled onto the bed and hovered over the princess's tiny form, kissing along her neck and jaw. Taking her arms, he pulled them up to wrap around his shoulders and was elated when she did stead of fighting him. Grabbing his manhood, he aligned it up with her core, ready to finally take what should have been his.

Putting his hands on her hips, it seemed like the best way to go about this would be to just thrust inside to get the worst part over instead of prolonging the pain by slowing working in inch by inch. That's something that idiot Riboku would probably do, but not him. He had never been the gentle type anyways...

Gripping her hips in a hold that would surely leave bruises, he quickly thrust forward, piercing through her innocence and shoving himself deep into her core.

Sakura eyes widened as she screamed in pain. Her nails dug deep into his shoulder, drawing blood. Kanki groaned out at the tightness surrounding him. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

'After all this time... So amazing...' The bandit threw his head back in ecstasy, basking in the euphoria of his greatest conquest. How long had he wanted to take a woman who's body brought such pleasure? How many women had he gone through, trying to find one that excited his entire being to such an extent, instead of being left with disappointment and wanting more? He was a demon who broke through the gates of heaven, forcing his own way to paradise.

"Hah...ahhhh! P-Please!..ugh.." The pinkette's voice broke him out of the trance he found himself in, bringing reality back in.

Her crying jolted something inside of him. Looking down, he saw the pinkette's tears of pain staining her porcelain skin. Her small frame trembled beneath him as her hands gripped tightly onto his shoulders. Despite how he longed to punish the defiant beauty, seeing her suffer bothered him. It was inconceivable... Complete bullshit.

How long had he waited to drive himself into that little pious princess and take the last thing she could hold onto? The angel had fallen and the demon would devour her...

Dark eyes stared down at where they were joined, seeing blood coating his member that hadn't even filled her all the way yet. Wrapping his arms around her tiny waist, he lifted her up and against him, pushing the woman's tear soaked face against his chest.

"Sakura... What did I tell you before? If ya just relax, it won't hurt as much." Kanki felt her trying to relax into his hold. Slowly, he pushed himself further up until his entire cock was shoved into her tight sheath. "That's it... Good girl..." His large hand rubbed her lower back, not exactly sure what he was trying to do.

The bandit rocked into her body, loving the resistance as he trusted in and out of her. There were no regrets about what was taking place tonight.

"Your pussy is gripping me so fuckin' hard. I didn't imagine you would be this tight...hah it's great." He knew from the first time he touched her at the winter solstice festival, that she was untouched and that being inside her was going to be heaven and hell at that same time. When his finger felt her entrance, it was unbelievable how tight it was...

Now, he realized that he underestimated her body and the pleasures that could be found by being in her... It was beyond heaven and hell and everything in between.

The pinkette buried her face into the crook of his neck, crying and moaning into his ear. Hearing the noises she was making was more than enough to spur him on to move faster. He slipped his hand between their sweaty bodies and reached down, using his fingers to rub her clit. The reaction was almost instantaneous as her cries that had been laced with pain turned into heated pleasure. The drug had made her so sensitive to his touch..

"Aghh. Hahh...ah.. Ri-" Before she could finish, he leaned back and captured her lips hungrily. There was no way he'd allow her to say THAT name and ruin this moment. Not after all that he went through to make it happen.

 _'Fuck no._ ' Kanki sped up, thrusting at a punishing pace, trying to shake it off. If she had finished what he had a feeling she was going to say, he didn't know if he could keep going as if nothing happened.

The bandit slammed up into her, searching his own climax while trying to bring her to completion as well. Her walls gripped him tightly, making him clench his jaw and tighten his hold on her waist.

A rough hand buried itself into her pink locks and yanked it back, forcing her to let the large man have an eyeful of her breasts as they bounced with each thrust and his own cock slamming up into her core. Dark eyes roamed her body, before focusing on her delicate face, twisted in pleasure.

Kanki could feel his own heart hammering in his chest as he watched the princess coming undone around him. Her face twisted in pleasure and back arched against him as her fingers tried to grab onto anything to hold on to. The pinkette's walls trembled as much as her legs as she came against his hips with a shout.

The dark haired man felt his own eyes widen as he experienced her first climax, trusting faster as he could feel himself close to following her.

"Hah...Sakura. I'm bout to come... You hear that?! I'm gonna fuckin' come...right inside of you." He growled and grunted, bearing his teeth and slamming into her roughly, seconds away from exploding.

"Ah! Fuck!" Pushing her forward and against the bed, he thrust as hard as he could into her as he came, unable to hold it in anymore.

Never before had Kanki experienced such pleasure and relief in his life, it was mind blowing. His arms gripped her tightly as he fell back against the mattress, dragging the limp pinkette with him.

This was probably the first time in a while that sex had felt so utterly exhausting, especially with only one woman. Panting and trying to catch his breath, he looked down at princess under his arm, who was completely worn out.

Kanki shifted so that he could get a better look at her face only to see that her eyes were closed, while little hot pants escaped her pink lips. Nudging the woman slightly, he figured she must have fallen asleep as there was no reaction.

A sinister grin spread across his face, knowing he had really won this little war between Sakura, Riboku, and himself. He was the one to finally have the prize and make this vixen into a woman. Now that he's already had her, it was time to end this little charade. Whatever spell or curse the witch cast over him should be broken now. Her life was now in his hands, whether he wanted to end it was all his prerogative.

Tonight, she would die. No longer would this royal pain in the ass be a hinderance or a distraction. It was over.

Rolling over and laying the pinkette on her back, he hovered over her sleeping form, his face and heart full of malicious intent.

Dark orbs roamed her naked body, taking in every detail for the last time, while they can. Her delicate face looked so peaceful as she slept in a drugged stupor, no idea that the end was near. Death was literally breathing down her neck.

With a grin, the bandit wrapped both hands around princess's slender neck, ready to strangle the life out of her. Looking at her face, it was almost a shame for things to end this way. Long lashes, dazzling emerald eyes, plump lips, a curtain of silk pink locks, and a curvaceous body that would undoubtedly never cease to make his blood race with want...she was the ideal woman to have as a lover.

However, Kanki was a cold blooded killer. As the leader of an army of bandits, there was no room in his frozen heart for such things. He was despicable and depraved, evil right down to his core. Torturing and killing was the only thing he would allow to make his heart race, not some tiny, insignificant woman. No longer would she be an obstacle.

Narrowing his dark eyes, he licked his lips, tightening the grip around her throat. As her oxygen supply was cut off, the pinkette gasped trying to take in a breath, but couldn't. The bandit felt her legs instinctively kick beneath him.

These calloused, dirty hands... They had taken more lives than anyone could imagine. The ease in which he killed with those rugged hands without hesitation was unnerving. The things they've done couldn't be considered anything less than inhumane.

He was a bandit who took over village after village, systematically murdering every single human being by personally lopping off their heads... Their blood spraying up in his face never bothered him. The crying and begging for their pitiful lives never stirred a single feeling of sympathy or remorse as they were lined up like livestock for the slaughter. Not a second of sleep was lost over the horrific acts him and his gang committed.

That was why he was known as _"Kanki The Beheader"_.

* * *

Laughter and distant yelling were the first thing she heard as she woke up. Actually, that's probably what brought her out of her deep slumber. What was going on?

"Riboku?" The usually feminine voice came out raspy and her throat felt like she had been drinking needles instead of liquor at the banquet. What a night... Too much drinking, too much everything. She had another crazy dream of that lunatic bandit, something that made her feel drained in the morning.

Instinctively, her little hands reached over towards where the blond would lay, hoping to get the comfort he was always willing to give. A sigh left her lips as she felt nothing...he must have woken early and headed off to his study or the palace again. The bed left odd, different for some reason.

Opening her eyes, she realized that she wasn't in Riboku's chambers or his bed. Instead of a bed, there were...large cushions? Sitting up and looking around frantically, everything was unfamiliar. In fact, the pinkette realized that she wasn't even in a room.

 _'Where the hell am I? Is this a tent?!'_ Running slender fingers through her pink hair, she tried racking her brain and recalling what happened last night. Everything seemed like a blur and the harder she tried to piece things together, a sharp pain shot through her skull.

The gold band was still in her hair, which was unusual. Riboku would have taken it out while she slept, even if she passed out from drinking so that she was comfortable and didn't wake up with a headache. Looking down, she wasn't wearing the blue robe from last night. Instead she was in a light green one with a dark sash that was haphazardly tied in the front.

 _'Where the hell did this come from?... I'm so confused... I-I need to find Riboku...'_ Standing up quickly, she almost fell over as her head spun.

"Shit!" Trying to catch her balance, she tripped over her own foot as the room seemed to be spinning and landed face first on the cushions with a grunt. The urge to throw up was almost too much, but the princess breathed deeply, trying to calm her raging stomach. The last thing she needed right now was to puke on herself or all over the tent.

 _'Perhaps I should wait just a bit or this won't end well..'_ Laying on the cushions, the pinkette tried to get a grip on herself and the surroundings before attempting to get up again. Her body felt unusually heavy and everything hurt. Just what happened last night?

The noises coming from outside the tent pushed the woman to get up. There was jeering, screaming, and other sounds she couldn't exactly distinguish assaulting her ears.

Slowly standing and gathering her bearings, Sakura took a deep breath, taking a few steps at a time towards the flaps that separated herself from whatever was going on out there. Various thoughts and images ran through her head at what was happening.

Standing at the entrance and reaching up to push aside the material, she couldn't help hesitating. It was fear of the unknown...

Gathering her resolve and inhaling a deep breath, she pushed the flap aside and looked out at the source of all the racket and noise that woke her up.

Taking a step outside of the tent, her bare foot felt dirt beneath it. The pinkette's slender hands instantly went to shield her eyes from the raging sun that was blinding, it must have still been early in the day. All the noises heard from inside increased tenfold without the safety of the tent to drown them out.

Blinking rapidly and trying to adjust to the light, she opened her eyes, taking in the surroundings. Within seconds, it felt as if the air was knocked right out of her at the sight she was met with.

There were hundreds-no, thousands- of dirty men with tattoos on their faces and scalps, some had many earrings and various piercings. Many of them were walking around with lots luxurious jewelry around their necks and on their person. There was no way in hell those belonged to those filthy men. They were undoubtedly bandits.

Women in expensive robes with their hair done and makeup caked on their faces were prancing around, hanging all over the thugs. There had to be hundreds of them... Flirting and lifting the bottom of their robes to show off what they have. Some were making out, others were performing sexual acts in broad daylight.

One women was bent over a table, getting railed from behind by a large bald guy with a tattoo on his face, screaming her head off. Another was being held up as two grizzly looking men who took her from both sides. Not far from them was a woman on her knees who was having her hair gripped by a skinny bandit who was shoving his cock down her throat.

 _'T-Those women are prostitutes...'_ They all seemed to be enjoying what was going on. Alcohol was being passed around in jugs and barrels.

There was a line of scared men on their knees with their hands bound behind their backs. One by one, they were dragged forward to a man with a large sword.

"Please, you promised!" The frightened man on the ground cried. The fear on his face was unforgettable as the bandit laughed, bringing the blade down with no mercy. Blood sprayed in the air as the man's ravaged head rolled across the ground.

"Fucking idiot!" The bandit laughed and jeered with the others as the prisoners left tried huddling together in fear, knowing there was only death that awaited them. Another guy picked up the severed head and walked over to a table that had over two long rows of dirty, mutilated parts on display with flies hovering around them. The man then grabbed the body that was left over and tossed it into a fire nearby that was filled with other corpses of people they had recently killed. Then the next prisoner was dragged over...

Sakura eyes were impossibly wide at the disgusting acts that she was witnessing. Bile rose to her throat, the smell from all of it combined was making her sick. The smell of booze, sex, blood, burning flesh.

 _'T-This isn't real... This is just some horrible nightmare... I just need to wake up and I'll be back in bed and Riboku will be there. Yes, that's all.'_ She closed her eyes and pinched herself as hard as possible on the arm. Opening them up, instead of being back in the safety of the general's chambers in the manor, she was met with the same sight from only seconds ago.

 _'No..no.. N-Nooo! Where is this?! Where am I? Where is Riboku?!... Am I in hell?'_

"Kukuku... What's wrong, little Hime?" It felt like her heart stopped for a second as the deep voice caught her attention. Looking over to the side, Kanki stood up from a table where he was sitting with a few other sinister looking characters and walked towards her.

Bewildered and confused, she instinctively stepped backwards into the tent as the bandit bounded after her. Feeling the cushions beneath her feet, the pinkette almost tripped over them in shock at what she had just witnessed and the bandit boss coming.

The tall dark haired man smacked the flaps aside and strode in, a grin on his face at seeing her reaction. It must have been entertaining to him if his expression was anything to go by.

Sakura backed away from his large form as it came closer, fear gripping her being. This was all just insane, from start to finish. The princess could feel her heart pounding in her ears, racing faster with every step he took. There was no escape in this small area and even if she did get out, then what? The place was packed with rabid animals killing, drinking, and having sex. Honestly, she didn't know whether it was worse being in a tent with 'Psycho The Beheader' or taking her chances out there...

"What's wrong, Sakura? Why are you backing away from me now?" The way he said it made her feel sick, with that fake sweet voice just to tease.

 _'Now?...'_

"W-What do you mean now?... And don't speak to me so casually and call me by my first name! I'd always back away from you given the choice. Actually, I'd never want to see you again if possible!.. What the hell did you do?! Why am I here and where are we?"

For a split second his expression drastically changed. It went from being amused, almost jovial and triumphant, to something dark. His brow furrowed and he looked angry at her words, offended even. It left as quickly as it came, he grinned again, this time made her feel more uneasy than the first.

"What's wrong, Hime? Have you already forgotten?" Kanki walked up close fast, and Sakura was as far as she could go in the back of the tent. She stepped back until bumping into something and had no where to go. The bandit closed in on her and leaned down so he was eye-to-eye with pinkette. There was no doubt about it...she definitely pissed him off with what she said. It was clear in his dark eyes as he leered down at her.

"So...it's okay for that slave boy Shin to call you by your first name, but not me? You didn't seemed to mind it last night...or can't you remember?" The princess's face paled at the perverse look on his face as he eyed her body with no reservations. Her mind started to race, thinking over last night and trying to remember.

"Kukuku. Don't you remember? Your legs wrapped around my hips? Or your moaning in my ear, hm? Better yet, how about when I made you come? It's okay if you don't remember, because I remember everything. Every. Single. Detail."

Sakura's eyes widened as she started to feel it coming back to her in bits and pieces. She.. He... They... Kami-sama. It was too much. Her head spin, feeling like she was going to puke as she passed out.

* * *

The pinkette's eyes fluttered as she lost balance and started to fall, but Kanki caught her instead of letting her hit the cushions. He knew she was going to be overwhelmed from it all. After all the drug she ingested the night before, he hadn't expected her to wake for a few more days...

Looking down at the princess's sleeping face, the bandit grinned as he scooped her limp body up and walked towards the center of the tent and laid her down in the same spot she was in before. This time, she probably will be out for a while.

That would be for the best as he made sure his tracks were covered thoroughly and there weren't any leads. Any loose ends to what happened needed to be taken care of so that no one from Kanyou, especially the Zhao compound, were able to gather any clues. He didn't need her making a fuss and trying to fight back until everything settled down.

 _'Maybe I should get something to keep her asleep for some time... The longer the better...'_

If the pinkette woke up and somehow managed to escape, it wouldn't just be bad for him, but his whole army. She could run back to Kanyou and with Riboku being Prime Minister and rubbing elbows with the king, he could find himself charged with treason. An enormous army could come after his own and things could get real ugly, real fast.

After all the struggles he went through as a bandit to get to this point and all the recruiting he had to do to get the Kanki Army this size...he couldn't be careless and blunder now.

As he eyed the sleeping woman, Kanki wondered if he already fucked up by not finishing her when he had the perfect chance. With his hands around her neck, it would have been nothing to squeeze her windpipe or just break it. As he choked the pinkette, she stopped flailing and the blood drained from her face...he was really trying to kill her. A trickle of blood ran down from her nose and it was like something unnatural came over him. It was an urge, like something or someone screaming in his head to stop.

His hands froze around her neck, unable to continue. He couldn't do it... "Kanki The Beheader" couldn't kill someone, how laughable. It was hard enough to admit it to himself and he sure as hell wouldn't tell anyone else. As far as the others were concerned, she was "goods" he had acquired for his own personal entertainment. Not that it wasn't true, but he wasn't going to tell them that he tried killing her over half a dozen times and couldn't.

This little woman...would eventually be his undoing...


	4. Nightmare

A/N: Sorry it took me so damn long to update, but I'm going to try to keep up with regular updates. 'Dreams of a Monomaniac' has been updated and I'm currently working on 'The Last Princess of Zhao'.

* * *

This was a nightmare... A complete utter nightmare...

Riboku ran a hand over his tired face, getting the loose blond stands out of the way before he ripped them out altogether. His rage could barely be contained, visible to all who had spoken or crossed the general within the last few days.

"Kaine.. You don't remember seeing anyone at all? Not even a glimpse? Anything?!" The female commander recoiled as the blond began pacing again, his voice raising with each syllable he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Riboku-sama... I-I don't know what happened. I waited for Hime-sama in the hall like Karu told me too and she didn't come out. Someone attacked me from behind... I'm sorry, I didn't see anything. I..I just didn't expect... I just wasn't ready for that to happen." Tears welled up in the brunette's eyes as the general gave her a hard look.

"You should have been on guard, that is your job. You were suppose to escort her, knowing there was an issue with that filthy bandit. How could you neglect your duties so carelessly?!" The woman began to sob feeling guilt ridden for what happened. She loved the princess like a sister and never wanted something like this to happen.

"I think we all neglected our duties that night. That includes you, Riboku-sama. If you didn't go off with that redhead, you would have been right there with Hime-sama. She didn't want you to leave her, was practically begging you, yet you still walked away." Futei, the masked commander spoke out, hating how his leader was taking things out on Kaine. It was clear what kind of toll it was taking on his lover. She had barely ate since the princess was gone, nor had he seen her smile even once.

"Futei!" She lashed out in disbelief that he even said that out loud. Riboku stilled hearing his words, no one knowing if he was going to lash out at the commander. Tensions had been higher than ever between everyone.

"Well... Honestly, we're all at fault. It's not fair just to put all the blame on you, Kaine! We all could have done something...anything differently and maybe Hime-sama would still be here. The truth of the matter is that we didn't and she's gone. Instead of being at each other's throats, we need to work together to pinpoint where those bandits have taken her." The commander clenched his fists tightly, frustrated beyond belief.

As soon as they realized the princess was missing and Kaine had woken up in the back of that dark room, no one wasted any time mobilizing a unit to search the capital and the perimeter outside the gates. The problem was that it had they had to avoid causing a ruckus or suspicion to the citizens as to not cause alarm.

Not only that, but they couldn't rely on the king or the courts to help with this matter. Riboku had already gone to the Qin king, yet his words fell on deaf ears. As Shoubunkun pointed out, there was no proof that Kanki had been involved. There was no physical evidence, no witnesses, nothing.

To the capital, while Kanki was indeed a scoundrel, he was also a necessary evil. Many times the general's use of gorilla warfare and unusual tactics had helped win many wars and battles. Not only that, but the bandit had a better and much longer track record in Qin than the Zhao-born Prime Minster had. It hadn't been that long ago that Riboku had been their greatest enemy...

It wouldn't be in Qin's best interest to cross one of their best general's over their foreign ally who had sold out his own homeland...over a hunch, that is. Like Shoubunkun mentioned to the blond-haired general, there was no evidence at all. To make things worse, he even brought up the fact that Sakura was not even his legal wife. Had she been, there would be more grounds to investigate the matter. The disappearance of a Prime Minister's wife in the capital would have made quite a stir, but she wasn't. She wasn't even considered a concubine.

Aside from that, she was also a part of the royal family of Zhao, who were suppose to all have been executed during the siege of Kantan. While it wasn't much of a secret in the capital, if word spread throughout the land, it could turn to be quite controversial for the Qin king. Ei Sei was in the midst of uniting China all under one flag, and he would not let the disappearance of one woman get in the way of that.

To add insult to injury, the Qin king even offered Riboku a replacement to calm his anger over the pinkette's disappearance. He was willing to have a marriage arranged between the prime minister and a lady of his choosing that belonged to one of the prominent families in the Qin lands. "It would help solidify your position in Qin," he claimed...and help the blonds image and prove his loyalty to his adopted country.

The Kings words infuriated Riboku beyond what his patience would allow, but he couldn't show it... At the end of the day, Ei Sei was the king, and he a prime minister. A controversial one at that, too. He had not been welcomed into Qin with open arms and many of the citizens held a grudge for his past actions as an enemy general. Even choosing a Zhao woman who was of royal lineage as his betrothed was met with hostility.

King Ei Sei did not understand his feelings. All that mattered to these men was power, wealth, and pleasure...not in that order. Marriages were very rarely based off of mutual love and respect for one another. No. It was about influence, politics, and strengthening your hold on what ever position you held or where your ambitions would lead you.

The king's own mother had been an object that had been used and thrown away for political gain. It was as easy as throwing away a used cloth. He had an entire harem with over a thousand women at his disposal... If he loses one, he'll just pick another.

Riboku was nothing like that. There was no replacement for Sakura, even if the king offered a thousand women, it would never fill the hole left by the princess... Nothing ever would and it wasn't something that time could heal either.

"...You're right, Futei..."

"Riboku-sama! You have every right to criticize me. D-Don't listen to that masked dumbass. This is not your fault at all, it is us who didn't live up to your expectatio-" The brunette stuttered out any excuse to make the general feel he was not at fault. She had always been more than willing to try carrying any weight off the blond's shoulders. Part of her always would and she was usually one of the first to come to his defense, everyone had known othat for years.

"No, Kaine. He's right, no matter what spin you put on it... I failed Sakura." The room was quiet, everyone looking towards the floor as they heard the pain in their leaders voice. "Despite what the court may say, every single one of us knows that disgusting bandit took her from us. I don't know how an army that size can mobilize and disappear without any traces, but we can't stop until we find her."

Riboku clenched his fist so tightly, the nails dug into his palms forcing blood to come to the surface. "Kami-sama knows what he's been putting her through this whole time, or if she's even still alive..." Inhaling deeply, he tried his best to push the images away.

"I'll won't stop until I find her, even if it kills me...and if it doesn't, when I find that banding... I swear to Kami-sama, I will rip him to fucking shreds with my bare hands right in front of Sakura. That way she'll know that monster will never be able to lay another finger on her again. I'll kill him, I swear on my life!"

The dark look in the general's eyes and his snarl as he growled out his oath sent shivers down his subordinates spines. Never before has they seen him like this and it was frightening. All they could hope for was that the princess was alive out there somewhere and that she was safe. If something had happened to her, there was no way to control their leaders rage from spilling out and starting a war that would shake every fiber in their beings.

Kanki had no clue what he drew out in Riboku when he took what did not belong to him...

* * *

"Boss..."

The dark haired bandit looked up from his cup and across the table where his legs were propped up, seeing his commander standing there, his arms crossed disapprovingly. He already knew what this was about...and didn't feel like hearing about it just yet. A raised eye brow was the only indication he gave Maron that he had heard him at all as he grabbed his cup to down the harsh liquid.

"Boss... I don't think it's a good idea to administer any more of that 'ahem' medication. It is not meant for long-term use. To put it delicately, you're going to end up making the poor girl comatose..." The strategist waved a finger at him as he spoke in his 'gentlemanly' manner that irritated many of the other commanders.

Twisting one of the curly ends of his mustache, Maron couldn't help but groan, knowing the boss wasn't paying him much mind. Despite carrying out the instructions he was given, he also had to tell the head honcho when adjustments needed to be made.

"What are you suggesting then, Maron? Hmm?" Dark eyes flickered from between the cup that was being refilled to the commander standing before him, not amused in the slightest. There was no doubt that this little charade had to come to an end soon, or there would be physical repercussions done to the pinkette.

"If I may speak freely boss, the medicine takes a toll on the body the longer it is used. Think about it... If little Hime-sama is fast asleep, she's not doing normal human functions. For instance, eating, drinking, bathing, exercising...amongst other things . It's clear that she has already lost a few pounds just from not eating the last few days. This could end up killing her if this keeps up."

Letting out a grunt of disapproval, the general brought his cup to his lips, contemplating what was said. Maron's words hadn't fallen on deaf ears...these were points he had already been thinking about since this started. Did the commander not think that the bandit who was always a few steps ahead of everyone else, not think of or notice such things? He started noticing two days ago that Sakura looked even more pale than she already did. Not only did the pinkette start losing what color she did have in her face, but was slightly slimmer, even if was just by a few pounds. Nothing went unnoticed by his eyes...

"Hn. Fine...then we'll just have to wake her up, won't we?" Kanki put his cup down none too gently as he planted his boots on the ground and stood tall. Yes, now would be a fine time to wake the little princess up...

The Kanki Army had spent the last few days in motion, barely stopping. From place to place they went, not settling down and leaving no trail, trying to get as far away from Kanyou as possible. It would do no good to have that damn Riboku and his men on their trail. There's no doubt within the hour of running off with the pinkette, they probably already had a search party looking through every corner in the capital. It would do them no good... Kanki and his men had long been gone by that time. His men already had their orders on what to do with the encampment and he had the princess for the night, all to himself.

A dark grin spread across his face remembering that night. He had Sakura all to himself and there was no one to stop him or interfere. His plans couldn't have gone better. They were all alone and the drugs had worked perfectly, making the pinkette react to every little touch. The image of her arching against him and clawing at his back made his heart race with want. The feel of her tight walls squeezing his cock as she took every inch of him, made his blood boil with lust.

Yes, he definitely wanted to wake her up. The urge to feel and experience all of that again was overpowering... It raced through his mind day in and day out since it happened. Part of him hated feeling this way, yet the other part wanted to embrace it. He didn't want anyone or anything having such influence over his being and the thought of killing her to rid himself of it had crossed his mind time and time again.

No matter how many times he watched her sleep and thought of different ways to end it, he couldn't bring himself to finish what he started. The only way he could think of getting it done once and for all was to get one of his commanders to do it, which they would happily accept...yet the thought of someone other than himself being the one to end the pinkette's life filled his with unspeakable rage. If she were to die, it would be at his hands and his alone.

* * *

Smacking the flap of the tent aside, Kanki strode in with Maron close behind. The commander wasn't sure exactly what the dark haired man planned to do exactly... He was known for being quite unpredictable. After all, he surprised them all by making the entire army accomplices in kidnapping the Prime Ministers betrothed. It doesn't get too much more unpredictable than that.

"Um, boss..." The mustached commander lifted his finger to say something, only realizing once again that his words fell on deaf ears.

Without hesitating, the general scooped up the woman unceremoniously off the cushions beneath them and strode right back out through the flaps they just came through. Raising an eye brow, Maron quickly followed behind, trying to keep pace with the taller bandit.

Like usual, the boss was being as ungentlemanly as ever, not even trying to be delicate with the tiny woman in his arms.

"Uh, boss. May I inquire what you are doing? I don't know what you have in mind, but it might not-"

"Cannit, Maron." The large, imposing stature of Raido called out from his seats in front of the tents, a drink in one hand. Unlike Maron, Raido was a tall brute, a savage if you will. There was no ounce of a gentleman in that beast. Next to him, sat Koko'Ou, a female version of a beast. While pretty, she could be even more savage than many of the men in the army

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen...but the princess was left in my care to make sure she stays alive and well. I was only trying to fulfill what was asked of me. Unlike some people, I prefer to finish what I start." A smug grin spread across the commanders face as Raido slammed his cup on the table.

"The hell you sayin'?! You wanna talk shit, eh Maron?"

The general blew passed the bickering commanders paying them no mind. Looking down at the princess, she looked quite pale, yet her skin was hot to the touch. If she felt feverish, why wasn't her face flush? Perhaps they did leave her on that medicine to keep her sleeping for too long.

Walking over to a barrel of water, the bandit lifted her up and over, dropping the pinkette into the freezing water with no remorse.

"Boss?!" Maron's voice sounded screechy over Raido's loud complaints. That was their drinking water and now he dumped some Zhao woman into it.

Kanki's eye brows scrunched together as he looked down into the barrel, waiting for the woman to resurface. The cold water should have shocked her awake and any normal person would have jumped out, screaming and cursing. That's what he was expecting anyway...

Dark eyes watched as pink strands and a few bubbles came to the surface, but she didn't stand up...

'What the fuck?!' Reaching his paw into the water, he grabbed a handful of the princess' hair, yanking her up and out of the barrel. With a loud gasp, the pinkette drew in a deep breath as the bandit pulled her out and on to the ground. Her body hit the cold dirt like a ton of bricks, she was so out of it, there wasn't even an attempt to brace herself for the impact.

Sakura coughed up water, spitting it out on to the ground as she hit it, desperately gasping for air. The general relaxed a bit seeing she was still breathing and moving, not realizing just how tense he was when she was in the barrel.

The pinkette shook uncontrollably, confused and freezing, having no clue what was going on. The robes Kanki had put on her were completely soaked and hanging off of her, much to his displeasure. She instinctively curled into herself, not knowing what was going on and trying to find some semblance of warmth.

"Kokuou..." The dark haired woman looked at the general pointedly. Whatever he was about to ask of her, she wasn't going to like... Unless it involved in killing the pathetic princess on the ground.

"Yes, boss?"

"Can you help little Hime-sama get cleaned up? I'd hate to have her die from a cold before the fun starts, kukuku." The boss laughed menacingly, making the others wonder what kind of plans he had in store. From their history with him, it could only mean something horrible and downright disgusting. No one knew how to have a better time making someone's life a living nightmare like their boss.

"Why is something like that left to Koko'Ou-san? You know that woman is quite a brute. She'll end up dragging Hime-sama by her hair, you know... Actually, she might end up getting rid of her hair. That would be such a shame, you know. The princess really does have great hair. I'd love to know her secrets."

Kanki looked over at the strategist, who was twirling the curly end of his mustache again with a disgusted look. Unfortunately it was true. The woman was known to be even harsher on other women than she was men, especially ones that were better looking than her. There was a good chance that she would rip all the pinkette's hair out and maybe even ruin her face...

"For fuck's sake... Do as I asked Kokouo and bring Maron with you. Don't do anything fucking stupid. Whatever you do to her, I'll do to you. Got it?" The growl startled the commander's at the way their boss was acting. Usually he didn't give a shit how the prisoners were treated as long as they were kept alive.

The female commander raised an eye brow at the general's remark, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Whatever I do to HER, you'll do to me? Hmm... Don't threaten me with a good time boss." A cackle left her thin lips until Raido gave her a glare, abruptly stopping her fun altogether. It wasn't like her to make such jokes, she must have been feeling good from all the drinking they had been doing that morning.

The dark haired man spit on the ground, agitated at the situation as a whole. This was already more trouble than it seemed worth... With one last look at the princess on the ground who was trying to steady herself, Kanki stalked off, not wanting to make eye contact with her. That annoyance will be dealt with after his commanders cleaned her up.

* * *

"Ah!" Sakura slipped as she was pushed into what these beasts considered a bath. Falling into the hot water in the large metal tub, she hissed hitting her knee against the side. Looking up at the dark haired woman who was the culprit, she wanted nothing more than to reach up and rip her head off.

"Don't fucking glare at me like that! I'll knock that stupid look right off your face." The woman's eyes squinted at her as she looked down, standing beside the bath.

Everything seemed to be happening so fast to Sakura, she barely had time to register anything. Everything seemed like a blur. One thing she did know, was that the nightmare where Kanki had taken her away from Riboku hadn't been a nightmare at all...it was reality. A harsh, cold reality.

Not only was her head spinning, but her body had felt so incredibly weak. There were still bruises from what that monster did in that shack. Just thinking about it almost made her throw up, if there was anything even in her stomach. How long had she been out? What was going on? Why hadn't Riboku come yet?

It was just completely overwhelming. None of it just even seemed real.

Kanki had kidnapped her right from the capital and had his way with her... He took the one thing she had held onto through everything she had been through. The ONE thing she saved, just for Riboku. Her virginity... Her innocence... That pig took everything she had for himself and wallowed in it.

Her tiny fists clenched as tightly as her jaw, ignoring the hot water stinging her skin. It wasn't fair... The bad guys weren't suppose to win. This wasn't suppose to happen. What happened to her knight in shining armor? Why hadn't Riboku come in and saved her before she had been defiled? That redhead at the banquet helped drug her, just so that bandit can enjoy raping her.

Why had he done that? What was the point? He could have just raped her, so why bother adding that in? Was it just to humiliate her even further? Make the pinkette feel like she wanted it? To get some sick satisfaction after rejecting him? That must be it, because Kami-sama knows it's not that he had a conscience and wanted her to participate so it felt less like rape.

It was all so unbelievable... Now what? A sigh left her lips, a yawn threatening to escape. Despite sleeping for who knows how long, she still felt exhausted. Trying to stretch her limbs in the water, they felt stiff and sore.

Looking back up at the woman who drug her in here and stripped off her clothing, she was met with a glare. What the hell did she want from her? Not far from the dark haired woman stood a man just a bit taller, with an odd, thin mustache who was twisting the ends of it. He seemed immersed in some sort of scroll he had brought in.

"What the fuck are you waiting for? Clean yourself up. I have other shit to do than babysit!" The witch growled out. Sakura was just overwhelmed and confused, not knowing what the hell was even going on. All she remembered was hitting the ground, freezing wet, then next thing she knew, this mean bitch was throwing her into hot water after ripping her clothes off.

"Kokouo-san..." The man with the scroll sighed. "The princess may have an easier time cleaning herself, if you gave her something to do it with?" Putting the scroll down, he grabbed a few items on a shelf nearby and walked by the nasty woman with a huff. Leaning next to the tub, he gently put them along the side. Sakura noticed that despite the fact that she was completely naked, he didn't try sneaking a peak.

"T-Thank...you..." Her voice was shaky from not using it for the last few days.

"You're welcome. Even as a prisoner, she still has better manners than you, Kokousan, haha... Don't worry, Hime-sama. I am not like the rest of the savages in this army. My name is Maron, the gentleman strategist of the Kanki Army. I wish I could greet you differently, preferably with you wearing clothes. I'm sure we will all get a chance to later..."

"Hmm... That's if the boss lets her have a chance to later..." The woman laughed seeing Sakura's eyes widen. She was right... There might not even be a "later" for her to dread.

What was Kanki's plans to do with her? Did he plan on killing her? If he did, there had been plenty of time for him to do it. Would be ransom her back to Riboku? Kami-sama, she hoped so! That would be the best case scenario. Or...did he just plan on keeping her around as a sex toy to torment?

Despite how hot the water was, a shiver ran down her spine. What did that maniac have in store for her? Reaching for the items to wash herself, all she could come to terms with was one thing. As long as Riboku was out there searching for her, she would fight tooth and nail until they were together again. No matter what Kanki did to her, she would endure knowing that one day, she will be back with the man she loves.

A small smile graced her lips at the newfound strength she found in her personal oath. Kanki could beat her, rape her, torture her, but he could never take away her love and memories away with the blond general. No matter how many times and different ways he invaded and defiled her body, he could never touch her heart or spirit.

Or so she thought...

* * *

After the terribly hot and uncomfortable bath, the princess was dressed in a new robe and brought back into the same disgusting tent that she remembered Kanki being in. The same cushions his boots trampled over, the same flaps he would smack aside with no disregard.

The only thing she was grateful for was being able to clean herself up and the table full of food that was prepared for her. If she were going to escape or wait to be rescued by Riboku, she would need to build her strength up. Starving herself would be foolish and only cause herself harm.

When was the last time she had a proper meal? At the banquet? The pinkette's stomach growled ferociously smelling the delicious meats and vegetables arranged delicately.

'That man, Maron, must be the one who did this... He left shortly after handing me those things for my bath. No one else around here seems to have that kind of flare to do something like this...' Kneeling down next to the table, her green eyes scanned all the plates piled with food. It seemed a bit out of place in the tent of a bandit... The care and presentation seemed more like something that would have been done at the manor or the palace.

Without hesitating, the princess began eating like a rabid animal that had been starved, which is exactly how she felt. Horse, cow, cabbage, fish, potatoes, so many dishes, so many different favors. Taking a little of everything from the plates that had been laid out, she ate quickly before anyone could come into the tent to interrupt her. The thought of the food being poisoned didn't even cross her mind, the hunger overrode her sense of judgement. If they wanted to kill or drug her, they could at any time.

Having her fill, Sakura put her chopsticks and bowl down, unable to finish even half of the food. There was just too much. Not only that, but she wasn't such a big eater anyway. If she ate too much too fast, she might end up throwing it up. Wasting any fuel she might need was out of the question.

"Hahh..." Having a nice meal in such a terrible place felt so odd... She would stay strong until the right time showed itself. Until then, it was a game of endurance.

Leaning back with her hands on the cushions, the princess's head lulled from one side to the other, beginning to feel tired from eating so much. For some reason, there was a peaceful feeling that washed over her. Perhaps she was just too mentally and emotionally exhausted from all that happened. Maybe it was that she knew it was futile to try escaping at this point and it would be best to bide time, looking for the perfect opening...or maybe it was just because Kanki hadn't come in yet.

That was more than likely it, she had thought to herself. There was no doubt that as soon as she saw him, she would be overcome with fear. Being in the tent away from the animals outside gave her a false sense of security, but that was okay for right now. There was no doubt in her mind that Riboku was doing everything he could to get her back.

Yes... Of course he would. He might even be on his way to rescue her this very moment. All she had to do was wait it out until her hero came and took her as far away from this place as humanly possible. She would just have to make sure not to step on any toes and keep herself in one piece until he got there with his army.

'There's no way Riboku wouldn't be on his way... I believe in him. He will get me out of this mess. There's no one more dependable than he is. I'll I have to do is make sure I don't get my head lopped off and I'll be okay. No matter what Kanki does to me, as long as I live, I'll be with him again.'

Sighing, she was just grateful Kanki hadn't shown his ugly mug yet. Perhaps she would be able to get away without seeing him for at least a bit longer.

Looking at the half eaten dishes, Sakura shook her head. There was no possible way of finishing them, at least now anyway. Twisting around, she slowly crawled towards the cushion she had been sleeping on earlier. With a yawn, the pinkette stretched out her arms and legs before curling up in a comfortable position.

This nightmare would be over soon...it had to be. Even if she was trying to convince herself that, it was better than nothing. It was the only thing stopping her from freaking out and sobbing uncontrollably.

Laying down on some of the cushions, she pulled a blanket over herself to keep warm. Her long, pink hair was still damp from the bath and the cool air was giving her a chill. Things would probably get worse before they got better and she didn't know if she was prepared for that. As long as the plan didn't end in her dying, she would make it out to see the love of her life again. Slowly, she closed her eyes as images of the handsome blond man played behind her lids...blissfully ignorant of the danger lurking outside of the tent...

* * *

Taking the last swing out of the bottle, Kanki tossed it towards Ogiko, making it shatter near his feet as the 1000-man commander comically jumped. That was the one good thing about the odd looking man, you can always get a laugh out at his expense.

"B-Boss!"

Ringyoku leaned back in his seat laughing his ass off as Naki grinned next to him. The commanders always seemed to get a kick out of Ogiko, who laughed along as well, scratching the back of his head. He never could tell the difference between someone laughing with him, or at him.

Feeling like enough time had passed since the pinkette had the tent to herself, the large bandit stood up, looking up at the sky. It was still so early in the day... From the location of the sun, it just only be a little past noon. Plenty of time for anything to happen.

One of the exciting parts of this whole situation was the unknown... Would Riboku and his army catch up? Would any of his allies be on to them? Would Kanyou get involved? It was the ultimate game of cat and mouse. The only question was, who would be the cat and who would be the mouse? He had the power in his hands to decide that. It was as if he was the game master and everyone was his pawns to do with as he pleased. Had he bitten off more than he could chew this time around?

Only time could tell...

Taking in a breath of air, there was such an odd feeling to all of this. The stench of alcohol and blood in the air, the screams of prisoners and cries of the whores that were brought in. This was his kingdom, where he was Kami over all. It was up to him whether someone lived or died. He had all the power in his hands.

A malicious grin spread across his face. Everything he wanted was right in the palm of his hands. There was no where to run, no where to hide. If Riboku came after him, so be it. He wouldn't make it easy on the strategist, that was for sure. The Kanki Army was infamous for being able to practically disappear in the blink of an eye.

* * *

Pushing aside the flap of the tent, Kanki's dark eyes looked around before landing on the sleeping figure beneath the blanket.

"Hnn..."

Scanning the room, the general looked at the table, seeing the half eaten food. Part of him was glad she was smart enough not to go on a hunger strike... After all, the only thing that would do is cause herself more harm than necessary. All he would have to do was wait a few days after she stopped eating and wait until she was weak enough, then have her force fed. Which would not have been pretty...

It showed she wasn't naive and foolish as others may believe. The pinkette understood the position that she was in and knew if there was a way out, she needed her strength for when the right opportunity showed itself. Starving herself would leave her body weak and mind unable to think properly.

Looking back down at the beauty on the pillows, a devilish smirk spread across his handsome face. Even if she found an opportunity, which was very unlikely, there was no way that she would get far. Not only that, but he would chase her to hell and back if it came to that.

Walking over to the sleeping princess, he sat down beside her, letting his dark eyes roam over what was his. The pinkette's face looked so peaceful as she slept, as if she wasn't in the middle of a bandit army where people were being torn apart right outside of the tent.

"Kukuku..." He couldn't help but laugh at the situation. They were complete opposites on direct ends of the spectrum. While he was an evil, malicious man with a murderous rage that couldn't be matched...she was a kind woman who wanted to help those around her and full of love for those she cared for. The only thing they had in common was their strength...

There was no denying that she was strong in every way. Mentally, physically, emotionally... From the time he had spent watching her without her knowing, he'd seen those qualities that others could easily overlook.

Not only that, but she had an unnatural ability for a woman. Remembering what happened in the back room at the banquet during the winter solstice still puzzled him. When he tried to make his move, she swung at him with such force that it had sent him flying through a table and blood ran down his face. It had an unbelievable amount of force behind it, as if a large man had hit him, not a tiny woman. No normal woman of that size could have that much strength...yet the pinkette was anything but normal.

Hovering above her, he reached down, taking a few loose stands of hair between his calloused fingers. Seeing her relaxed face, the sadistic part of him wanted to see how much that would change if he tore a handful of it right out of her head. Would she scream and cry? Would she try to kill him? It was tempting...oh so tempting to see what kind of reaction he could get.

Feeling the softness of the pink silk around his fingers, he brought it up to his nose, inhaling deeply. Her sweet, floral scent brought an unusual calmness to him that he usually didn't experience until after a long day of slaughter and bloodshed.

Closing his eyes, he brought the silk entangled around his fingers up and let his face rest in his palm, allowing the princesses scent invade his senses. Breathing in the wonderful fragrance and feeling the softness against his skin, his mind started swirling with dark thoughts as he let himself be consumed with just this small part of the tiny woman beneath him.

Looking down at the sleeping woman, he could feel the beast inside him stir, wanting to ravage her. After all, she was his now, there was no escape for her. If he wanted her, he could have her anytime, anywhere he wanted.

Sitting back and letting go of her hair, he reached down and grabbed her shoulders, pulling her to lay her upper body on his lap. Stirring slightly, the pinkette seemingly went back to sleep as she curled into herself on him.

Dark eyes raked up and down her body as the blanket slipped off when he pulled her onto him. Thinking about her naked form from the night they spent together, Kanki could feel his cock hardening as he looked at her parted lips, taking in tiny breaths.

The thought of pulling his cock out and slipping it between those puffy, pink lips was driving him wild. He's tasted her sweet little pussy and shoved himself deep into it, yet the thought of having her hot, wet mouth engulf him was turning him on the more he thought about it. Would she be able to take him whole or would her gag reflexes get in the way? What kind of face would she make as he came and made her swallow every last drop of his seed?

His fists clenched and unclenched as the images ran through his mind, exciting the bandit. All he wanted to do right now was flip the princess over and fuck her tight little hole, making her take every inch of him.

Sakura was sweet...so sweet. She tasted heavenly and he was more than willing to spread her lips and bury his face in her pussy. Typically, the bandit wouldn't do that for any of the whores they picked up and brought to the encampment. He wouldn't put his mouth on any of those over used twats. His dick was one thing, his mouth another.

The princess was a completely different story... Her body was unused and clean. She had been untouched and he was the first man to have her. As far as he was concerned, her body was his conquered territory. He was the only one touching her, tasting her...

Looking back up to her face from staring at her body, his dark eyes widened as they met with deep emerald orbs, not realizing she had woken up. He had been so consumed in his lust, he hadn't been paying attention.

Sakura just looked up at him quietly, not saying anything. The bandit half expected her to flail and try to fight him off or at least push away.

The look in her eyes unnerved him... There was a faraway feel to them, as if even though she was looking up at him, she was looking passed him. As if he didn't exist. It pissed him off... Where was that light that was there just the other day? Where was the fight in her?

Part of him had been hoping for her to fight him so he could overpower the beauty, making her submit to him. He wouldn't pass up any chance to show her who is in control.

"Kanki..." His name rolling off of her tongue stopped any train of thought. He looked down at her intently, not knowing what to expect from this little vixen. Time and time again she surprised him with the things she said and did.

"Are... Are you going to kill me?" Her voice was quiet as she said it, barely above a whisper. There was a sadness radiating from her, he could hear it in the way she spoke. Had she resigned herself to that fate? What should he say? Should he put fear into her heart or do something to bring the fighter out in her?

Had she already given up? What would be the fun in that? He hoped she wouldn't be boring enough to do that so soon. Yes...he wanted to make her submit to his will, but he imagined it would be a long and hard battle between them.

No...something was up. She wasn't giving up so soon, that he knew about her. He already knew what games he wanted to play with her.

Staring down with an intensity that would make any other woman shiver in fear, he leaned down closer to her face.

"No... Not yet anyway."

"Not yet?... What the hell do you want with me? Why won't you let me go? You already got what you wanted, right? So let me leave already..." A scowl on her face made the bandits lip curve in a nasty smirk.

'There it is...'

"It doesn't matter. I'll do whatever the fuck I want with you now. If you're smart, you'll keep your mouth shut and legs spread." Her green eyes narrowed as he let out a laugh at her expense.

His smile quickly faded as a knee came up faster than he expected, crashing painfully into his face. Falling back as he instinctively reached for his now bleeding nose, the pinkette quickly rolled off his lap. Staggering to get to her feet, she started running towards the flaps of the tent.

"Fuck! You bitch!"

Jumping up as fast as he could, the general quickly grabbed the back of the princesses robe before she could run out and threw her behind him onto the pillow. Despite landing on cushions, the force was enough to knock some of the air out of her.

With a growl as blood leaked down his face, he spun around and pounced on the pinkette, who didn't even have time to catch her breath.

"You crazy, stupid bitch!" Sakura flailed, trying to hit him in the face as he caged her in with his large body. In this position, there was no way she could get out now.

Losing his patience and fueled by anger, the bandit leaned back, raising the back of his hand to strike her as painfully as she did him.

Sakura's green eyes widened as she recoiled instinctively, trying to cover her face with her arms, preparing for a painful impact. Her tiny body trembled under his weight and large form.

Seeing the pinkette's reaction, Kanki clenched his jaw as he stopped himself at the last second from striking her. Bringing his arm down, he breathed deeply, trying to uncharacteristically calm himself down. Despite how enraged he was at her right now, he couldn't bring himself to beat her while looking so damn pathetic...

"What the fuck are you tryin' to pull? Huh?!" The princess didn't move or put her hands down, still trembling beneath him. Even though he was pissed, he couldn't stand seeing her look like this.

Grabbing her by the wrists, he pinned them to either side of her head as he stared down at her. His dark eyes widened seeing tears streaming down her face and the fear in her normally bright eyes.

'If only she knew what was waiting outside this tent for her. This is the safest place for her to be for miles around...'

"Why?...Why are you doing this to me?!" She sobbed, a fresh batch of tears adding to the ones already falling.

Kanki gave her a hard look, just inches away from her face. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, that was half the fun of this.

"You wanna pull this kinda shit? Huh, Hime-sama? This ain't the fucking palace with your precious little Zhao guards around to protect ya. You wanna know what will happen to you if you run out of here by yourself?!" He growled out angrily in her face.

Droplets of blood from where she hit him dripped off his chin and onto her face, making her flinch as the crimson beads tainted her porcelain skin.

"My men out there, they're not like the ones that pussy Riboku keeps around. They're savages. They will rip off your limbs while they fuck you. You'll experience the most intense, prolonged pain a human can endure. If they get their hands on you, you'll beg someone to kill you. Fuckin' get that, you idiot?!" He roared in her face, trying to get his point across. If she tried this shit while he's not around, it's a guaranteed death sentence.

Biting her bottom lip, the pinkette looked away as she silently cried to herself, not wanting to look at him anymore. Letting go of her wrist, he gripped her jaw hard as he forced her to look at him.

"Do. You. Fuckin'. Understand?!"

The princess slowly nodded, trying to let what he said sink in. To her, being with the bandit was the worst case scenario... Now he's telling her that being with HIM was the safest place to be? It was laughable.

"You're the worst... Being in this tent..with you is the safest place for me right now? I was safe! Safe in Kanyou with Riboku! You took me from my home! You took me away from the man I was going to marry...my friends..everything. What the hell could you possibly want with me now? You had your way! You ruined me! What the fuck is it that you want!?..."

The pinkette yelled and cursed him, starting to struggle under the weight of him body on top of her and the hold on her wrists.

Kanki let her flail and scream, waiting for her to tire herself out. She had been out of it for a while and wouldn't have much energy to expend, let alone enough to try to escape.

WIthin minutes, she did just that. Unable to keep struggling, she stopped trying to fight him and went limp, panting hard.

"...Why? Why won't you take me home! I won't tell anyone what you did... I'll just say I had cold feet and ran off. I don't want to be here! Please...please just take me back. I'll never tell a soul."

Kanki let his dark eyes bore into hers as she resorted to pleading since nothing else was working. She had fought, cried and begged, but nothing would move him. He wasn't going to let her go now. Not for anything...

"Little Hime... It seems that you don't know your place yet. How about this. If you calm down and have a few drinks with me, I'll answer your questions. I'm doing YOU a favor by even entertaining the idea of telling you anything. Truthfully, I don't have to say shit to you. I answer to no one, but... I'll play along, for now."

Letting go of her, he got up leaving her puzzled. Turning away from her, she couldn't see the smirk on his bloody face. Walking over to the table, he swiped all the dishes off and pulled to closer to where they were.

"I'll be right back, don't fucking try anything. If you want answers or want to know about your precious Riboku, you'll do as I say." Seeing her eyes widen as he said the blonds name, he grimaced at the hopeful look in those emerald depths. "Not to mention, you have no clue where Kanyou is from here... Not that you would make it out of the camp in one piece anyway..."

The general let out a hearty laugh at seeing her face drop. He wanted her to feel lost, to not know where she is or be able to make an escape plan. On the other hand, he knew that if she tried to escape when he wasn't around, many of the men would indeed doing terrible, heinous acts to her. Yes, they would be tortured to death for touching what was his, but that would mean nothing if she was maimed, raped or killed. She was beautiful and sweet, there's no way any of his men would pass up something so good. They liked to spread their stink where ever they could.

He was keeping her safe by scaring her into not leaving his tent. By all means, he would rather her be afraid and safe, then raped and killed. Even if he told the others not to touch her, it didn't mean anything to many of the bandits in the army. Yes, his commanders would listen, but the foot soldiers didn't care about anything unless they knew he was there. If they think they can get away with something while he's not around, they'll try it. A bandit knows the mindset or another bandit. Many were loyal to him, but not all were and he had to keep that in mind.

With one last look, the general turned away and headed out of the tent. He wouldn't be long, but he needed to get what he would need to play this little "game" with the princess. After all, she needed some loosening up to get what he wanted...


End file.
